Letters to a Young Woman Poet

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Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media: Arts

BBC Radio 4 - Letters to a Young Woman Poet

Poets Gillian Clarke, Penelope Shuttle and Grace Nichols share insights into creativity.

Poets Gillian Clarke, Penelope Shuttle and Grace Nichols share insights into their creativity.

'Ask yourself, in the still of your night, must I write?'

In ‘Letters to a Young Woman Poet’ - three of our most celebrated poets: Gillian Clarke, Penelope Shuttle and Grace Nichols, explore the deep pleasure of writing,  the poetry of menstruation, sensuality and motherhood, and offer advice to younger writers - in a programme which includes the creative insights of the Bohemian poet  Rainer Maria Rilke – who began the iconic correspondence known as ‘Letters to a Young Poet’ 120 years ago.

Quotations from 'Letters to a Young Poet' trans. M.D.Herter Norton

Produced by Faith Lawrence
Mixed by Sue Stonestreet

Poems read in full:
‘Confirmation’ - Grace Nichols
‘Ashes, Blood ‘- Penelope Shuttle
‘Sheila Na Gig at Kilpeck’ – Gillian Clarke
‘Invitation’ – Grace Nichols
‘Mother and Child’ -  Penelope Shuttle
‘Times Like These’ - Gillian Clarke
‘Moon Mothers’ - Grace Nichols

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

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Letters to a Young Woman Poet

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