The Verb

Original version

BBC Radio 3 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced Third Programme.

BBC Radio 3

Radio 3

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance

The Verb: Nature Poetry: Experiments in Living

Nature Poetry: Experiments in Living

BBC Radio 4 - The Verb, Nature Poetry: Experiments in Living

With Simon Armitage, Moniza Alvi and Jade Cuttle

Ian McMillan returns for a brand new series - joined by poets Simon Armitage, Moniza Alvi and Jade Cuttle.

Do extraordinary times call for extraordinary kinds of writing and attention? Is it time to recalibrate, as William Wordsworth did in the middle of a revolutionary age, with his ‘Preface to the Lyrical Ballads’ ( his poetic manifesto with ‘emotion recollected in tranquillity' at its heart’)?

Join The Verb each week for ‘experiments in living’ and experiments in language, as we build a new writing manifesto with the help of all our guests.
 
The first experiment is in nature poetry, and this week Ian is joined by Simon Armitage, the Poet Laureate. Simon has founded the Laurel Prize, an annual award for the best collection of nature or environmental poetry published over the last five years. He’s joined by fellow Laurel Prize judge, Moniza Alvi, whose latest poetry collection is ‘Blackbird, Bye Bye’.

Shortlisted for the Laurel Prize are Colin Simms for his collection ‘Hen Harrier Poems’, Pascale Petit for ‘Mama Amazonica’ and Karen McCarthy Woolf for ‘Seasonal Disturbances’. We hear readings of their poems on the programme. Karen’s work is scored by Andrea Allegra.

And we also welcome poet, musician, editor and plant-whisperer Jade Cuttle, who, along with Simon Armitage, will be judging the Gingko Prize for Ecopoetry . The prize is for a single poem; for more information on how to enter please visit https://ginkgoprize.com/

Jade Cuttle: https://www.jadecuttle.com/
Moniza Alvi: https://www.moniza.co.uk/
Simon Armitage: https://www.simonarmitage.com/

Presenter: Ian McMillan
Producer: Faith Lawrence

Live music and the arts: broadcasts more live music than any other radio network. Classical music is its core. Genres include world and new music, jazz, speech and drama.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Verb

Nature Poetry: Experiments in Living

Genres

Brand

BBC Radio 3

About BBC Radio 3