PODCAST · society
The Verb
by BBC Radio 4
Ian McMillan hosts Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.
Episodes
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Poems to earth you
To 'earth' us this week, Ian McMIllan invites Owen Sheers, Jason Allen Paisant, Helen Mort, and David Morley to share poems that ground us - including work from the 2026 Laurel Prize for environmental poetry by the winner Fiona Benson. Helen Mort's latest book is 'Stepmother', Jason Allen…
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Poems that shake up autumn from Contains Strong Language
Ian McMillan brings you poems and poets to shake up autumn from the Contains Strong Language Festival. Ian's guests, Alice Oswald, Paul Farley, Karen McCarthy Woolf and Liz Berry tread through the mellow fruit of John Keats' Ode to Autumn, but then turn their eyes and ears towards other…
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Poems to help us brave the elements
Ian McMillan's poets show how the tiniest poem can help us brave the fiercest elements - from a haiku that's inspired generation after generation - with its careful noticing of the splosh of a frog into a pond, to a thin poem that summons the forces that shape mountains, and which end up shaping...
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Poetry to keep you afloat
Ian McMillan and poets Vona Groake, Jardel Rodrigues, Mira Rosenthal and Malgorzata Lebda bring poetry that helps us navigate storms, rivers and seas - real and metaphorical, and sound artist and musician SHHE (Su Shaw) immerses us in surprising sounds of the sea. Vona Groake’s latest collection...
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The Verb - a house of multipoet occupancy
The celebrated writer Daniel Mendelsohn on his acclaimed translation of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey. Poet Lydia Unsworth on finding inspiration for her new collection, Stay Awhile, in ring roads, shopping centres, and cooling towers. BBC New Generation Thinker, Joe Shute, on using poetry to...
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Myths to nourish your life: poetry with Ian McMillan and Angie Hobbs, Rishi Dastidar, Bradley Taylor, Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch
The poems that nourish us, and the myths that nourish poems. What can a connection with a mythical figure give us, or a legendary flower? Ian McMillan is joined by Zeus, Poseidon, the Green Man, the trees of Under Milk Wood, and Wordsworth's favourite flower - courtesy of The Verb's guests - the...
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Poetry - a bullet-proof vest for the soul
Ian McMillan is joined by Lindsey Hilsum, Channel 4 News' International Editor, who shares poems that have sustained her while reporting from conflict zones around the world. Richard Skinner, editor of 14, the annual poetry publication dedicated to 14-line poems, chooses this week's Neon Line.…
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The Verb at the Hay Festival
In this special edition of The Verb, coming from the Hay Festival, Ian McMillan's guests are: Nicola Davies, the Children's Laureate Wales, who will be talking about how the natural world inspires her poetry and why she thinks writing is a superpower; Novelist Joanna Kavenna will be taking on The...
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Dark nights of the Soul, Brian Bilston, JH Prynne, Daljit Nagra, William Blake and Martha Sprackland
The comedy of corporate language, why a 16th century 'dark night of the soul' poem could help you through your own dark night, the experiments of J.H.Prynne, and the tenderness of boys' friendships - with Ian McMillan and guests Brian Bilston, Martha Sprackland, Daljit Nagra and Ira Lightman.…
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Michael Laskey, Michael Schmidt, Michelle Penn, Rachel Douglas-Jones
Michael Laskey has produced six collections of poetry since his first pamphlet in 1988. That was also the year he co-founded the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival. His career in poetry which has seen him teach, edit, and publish and has resulted in him becoming this year's recipient of the King's Gold...
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Sibling relationships with Blake Morrison, Natalie Shapero, Tara Bergin, and the word 'literally'
Ian McMillan is joined by Blake Morrison with the poetry of sibling relationships, Natalie Shapero - who reports poetically from the world of cinema in L.A., and Tara Bergin, who looks at how to escape from a poem, as well as sharing a 'Neon Line' with us. We also have our cartoon for the ear…
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George Szirtes, Iryna Starovoyt, Zain Rishi, Katie Clarke
George Szirtes, winner of the T. S. Eliot Prize and the King’s Gold Medal for Poetry, is the most recent poet to join the small selection panel for arguably the UK's most public celebration of poetry - Poems on the Underground. As the London Tube initiative reaches its 40th birthday, George...
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Richard Dawson, Jacob Polley, Sarah Howe, Frank Cottrell Boyce on John Carey
Ian McMillan's guests this week are the singer and songwriter Richard Dawson, T.S. Eliot prize winning poets Jacob Polley and Sarah Howe and Children's Laureate Frank Cottrell Boyce - who celebrates Professor John Carey and the art of poetry criticism. Richard Dawson and Jacob Polley light up the...
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The Love Verb
Ian MacMillan has love in mind as he is joined by a swoon of poets all interested in the subject of love in lyric form. Kim Moore’s poetry collections include The Art of Falling and All The Men I Never Married. She's chosen this week's Neon Line, The Verb's feature on lines that shine out from...
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Rilke's life-changing poems and Paul Farley, Kate Fox, Griot Gabriel
Ian McMillan explores Rainer Maria Rilke's life advice, and is joined by Paul Farley, Griot Gabriel, Kate Fox and Ulrich Baer Paul Farley brings us the sound of planes, and the world of the usher - as well as a life-long connection to Robert Louis Stevenson's 'A Child's Garden of Verses'. Paul's...
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T.S. Eliot Prize Poets
Join Ian McMillan for a celebration of remarkable poets and poetry as he presents highlights of the annual T.S. Eliot Prize readings, recorded in front of an audience at London's Southbank. Ian was the host for the TS Eliot Prize readings at the Royal Festival Hall - where shortlisted poets read...
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The Christmas Adverb
Testament, beatboxer, rapper and writer - presents a festive Adverb (complete with a yuletide salad battle), with his guests the former Scottish Makar Jackie Kay, poetic legend John Hegley, Mercury prize nominated folk singer Sam Lee, as well as satirical supremo Brian Bilston. They bring iconic...
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Simon Armitage, Alistair McGowan, Joelle Taylor
Ian McMillan's guests include the Poet Laureate Simon Armitage with poetry from his latest collection 'New Cemetery', impressionist and poet Alistair McGowan and Joelle Taylor with her new book 'Maryville'. Poet Laureate Simon Armitage shares poems from his recent collection 'New Cemetery' -...
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Train Poetry with Don Paterson, Bella Hardy, Carmen Marcus, Patrick McGuinness
Ian McMillan enjoys the language of the iconic 'Night Mail' poem by W.H. Auden, invites us into signal boxes, imagines train station bars, and evokes the empty platforms that inspire songs - as he celebrates 200 years of railway inspired poetry with his guests Don Paterson, Carmen Marcus, Bella...
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Shaun Usher, Katrina Naomi, Amani Saeed, Fran Edwards and Jennifer Jones
Shaun Usher's Letters of Note project became a cultural empire spanning multiple books, stage shows, and an online archive. He's now produced Diaries of Note - a collection of diary entries that span centuries from the great and the good . He discusses the relationship between a diary entry and a...
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Poetry by Tony Harrison, US Poet Laureate Arthur Sze, Sinéad Morrissey, David Morley, and Daniel Sluman
Ian McMillan celebrates an iconic poem that inspired a generation of poets and readers - Tony Harrison's 'Them and Uz'. His guests include the new US Poet Laureate Arthur Sze, the former Poet Laureate of Belfast Sinéad Morrissey who brings us an autumnal 'Neon Line', zoologist and poet David…
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Maria Popova, Aditya Narayan, Kimberly Campanello, DM Black
Writer and poet Maria Popova on taking inspiration from 19th century ornithological studies for her new publication, An Almanac of Birds – 100 Divinations for Uncertain Days. Slam poet Aditya Narayan has had an impressive winning streak this year – winning the Roundhouse Poetry Slam in April and...
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The Verb from Contains Strong Language in Bradford
Ian McMillan presents The Verb from Contains Strong Language in Bradford - with poets Imtiaz Dharker, Kieron Higgins, Nabeela Ahmed, and Katrina Porteous (reading poems from her Laurel Prize winning collection Rhizodont). Rock, stone and sediments are everywhere in this celebration of poetry and...
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The Adverb
Testament presents poetry in performance from Daljit Nagra, Kate Fox, Andrew McMillan and Kirsty Taylor The Adverb is recorded in front of a studio audience in St George's Hall, Bradford at the Contains Strong Language festival. Part of the Bradford 2025 City of Culture celebrations. Testament is…
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The Adverb from the Ledbury Poetry Festival
Ian McMillan presents poetry in performance with Jackie Kay, Hollie McNish and Michael Pedersen in this recording of The Adverb at the Ledbury Festival. They share poems of friendship, childhood, and of love in its many forms - from the love of a child for a parent, to the love of balconies.…
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Forrest Gander, Laurie Bolger, SJ Fowler, Rachel Segal Hamilton
Pulitzer prize-winning poet Forrest Gander discusses the Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowships. An initiative which awards $50,000 to poets of literary merit appointed to serve in civic positions to enable them to create projects that enrich the lives of their neighbours, through...
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Harriet Walter, Jason Singh, Gillian Allnutt, Glacier Poetry
Ian McMillan is joined by actor and writer Harriet Walter, sound artist Jason Singh, poet Gillian Allnutt - and hears ritual language for glaciers - from writers Andri Snaer Magnason and Manjushree Thapa. Dame Harriet Walter is one of our best loved actresses. She's absorbed the rhythms of...
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Boo Hewerdine, Fiona Benson, Alison Binney, Yvonne Lyon, Eartoon
Ian McMillan welcomes poetry about fathers, songs celebrating the things that fall out of books, and a poetic investigation into the women who were labelled witches, with guests Alison Binney, Boo Hewerdine, Yvonne Lyon, and Fiona Benson. Ian also presents a new Eartoon (our cartoon for the ear )...
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Poetry and performance with Ian McMillan
On this week’s edition of The Verb: Ian McMillan basks in the glow of a Neon Line explained by the celebrated Faroese poet and novelist Carl Jóhan Jensen; Karen Downs-Barton shares poems from her debut collection, Minx, which reflects on her Romani childhood; Cristóbal Bianchi, cofounder of the...
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Hedges and poetry
Ian McMillan's guests celebrate hedges, with poetry from Alison Brackenbury and Testament, singing from Sam Lee, Michael Symmons Roberts explores a poem with a nightingale at its centre, and hedgelayer Paul Lamb records himself walking a hedgerow that's rich in wildlife. This hedge-themed special...
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Peter Mackay, Tishani Doshi, Scanner, Lorna Goodison
Ian McMillan's guests are the Scottish Makar Peter Mackay, Jamaican poet Lorna Goodison, as well as Indian dancer and poet Tishani Doshi, and the musician Scanner. Scanner lets us into the baffling and mysterious 'poetry' of album titles by Autechre, Aphex Twin and other electronic music artists....
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Rebecca Watts, Brian Bilston, Cristina Rivera Garza, Deryn Rees-Jones
Rebecca Watts has just published her third poetry collection - The Face In The Well. She discusses writing poems that engage with the work of an earlier generation of poets, turning a cherished childhood memory into poetry, and Emily Brontë's love of ironing. Poet and writer Brian Bilston is as...
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Reeta Chakrabarti, Fred D'Aguiar, Ella Frears, Edward Wilson-Lee
Flames and poetry - what poetry tell us about the Los Angeles fires, the pleasure the poet John Keats took in reading - a poem-letter to an imaginary estate agent, and magical language. To explore all this McMillan is joined by poetry writers and poetry lovers. Ian's guests: BBC newsreader and...
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Joelle Taylor, Anthony Joseph, Luke Wright, Accents
How does it feel to be adopted? How does naming things affect experience? Why does a mysterious sound make Ian want to get out of the studio in Salford? Is it ever a good idea to pretend to have a particular accent? Poems, questions and much more - on this week's Verb. Ian McMillan is joined by...
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TS Eliot Prize Readings - highlights of a year in poetry
Ian McMillan presents highlights from the TS Eliot Prize Readings - extraordinary poetry from 2024. Poetry books featured : Raymond Antrobus 'Signs, Music' (Picador Poetry) Hannah Copley 'Lapwing' (Pavilion Poetry) Helen Farish 'The Penny Dropping' (Bloodaxe Books) Peter Gizzi 'Fierce Elegy'...
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Richard Dawkins, Gwyneth Lewis, Kate Fox, Eartoon
Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins tells Ian McMillan about the influence of poetry on his writing, and shares poems written by his own mother. Ian also explores the influence of a very competitive mother on the life and poetry of former National Poet of Wales Gwyneth Lewis. And as it's the...
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The Morecambe Poetry Festival
The Morecambe Poetry festival hosts Ian McMillan and the Verb at the Morecambe Winter Gardens, for a special recording with poets Pam Ayres, Raymond Antrobus and Henry Normal, three performers much- loved by audiences. Pam Ayres takes us back to the beginning of her career with the first poem she...
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A special recording of The AdVerb at The Hackney Empire
A special recording of The AdVerb at The Hackney Empire . Ian McMillan introduces six unique collaborations - new commissions between poets composers and musicians in collaboration with BBC Contains Strong Language and the BBC Symphony Orchestra Poets from the East End of London team up with...
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Isy Suttie, Pascale Petit, Deryn Rees Jones, Alan Connor
Ian McMillan is joined by four guests for more poetry and performance . After a year characterised by wet weather, Alan Connor constructs a poem from 188 Words for Rain collected on travels around the country for his new book with that title. Comedian and writer Isy Suttie treats us to a new song...
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Wendy Cope, Theresa Lola , Susie Dent, Ira Lightman
On this week's edition of The Verb, Ian McMillan gathers together - Wendy Cope - the poet whose 1986 debut collection "Making Cocoa For Kingsley Amis" became that rare thing - a poetry best seller. As her first collected poems are published she reflects on poetry forms and why some of her old…
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Paul Farley, Malika Booker, Rob Drummond, Kate Fox
This week on The Verb Ian McMillan is joined by Paul Farley, author of the bird-centred 2019 poetry collection 'The Mizzy'. Especially for The Verb he's written us a brand new poem that considers birds on our workplace, inspired by new 'Nature Postive' building regulations. Malika Booker is...
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Margaret Atwood and Alice Oswald
Ian McMillan talks to Margaret Atwood and Alice Oswald about how we write poetry, and their own process, the natural world, time, and the possibilities of myth.
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The Verb in Australia
BBC Contains Strong Language 2024 took place in Sydney Australia in partnership with Red Room Poetry and ABC Australia . This special edition of The Verb was recorded in State Library of New South Wales n front of a audience as part of the festival. With guests Eileen Chong the first Asian...
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29/09/2024
Gardens, balloons, parties and whales feature in this week's cabaret of the word. Ian's guests include Toby Litt, Roger Robinson, Hannah Silva and Caleb Femi. Novelist, poet and librettist Toby Litt has wrestled Ian, written stories backwards, and been limited to a single verb, in previous Verb...
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22/09/2024
Ian McMillan presents a cabaret of the word - the best poetry and performance - with guests Daljit Nagra, Karen McCarthy Woolf, Brian Bilston and the voice of Stagedoor Johnny. Brian Bilston, internet poetry sensation - and the poet behind 'Days like there' and 'Alexa, what is there to know about...
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The Adverb in Australia
Bringing you the best in Australian spoken word poetry . A special edition of Adverb, recorded at the Riverside Theatres in Parramatta the creative edgy hub of West Sydney. Featuring the founder of the exciting Bankstown series of poetry slams Sara Mansour along with many of the poets who have...
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The Adverb at Outspoken
Inspiring words that connect us in difficult times; three outstanding poets take to the stage at Outspoken, one of the most exciting and innovative poetry nights in the world. Imtiaz Dharker, poet, film-maker and national treasure is on first. She is a recipient of the Queen's Gold Medal and…
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The Adverb at Hay
Ian McMillan presents poets in performance from the Hay Festival for The Verb's performance wing - The Adverb. This week's guests include the Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, the National Poet of Wales Hanan Issa, former Children’s Poet Laureate Joseph Coelho, Professor of Creativity Owen Sheers…
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The Adverb at Latitude
Recorded live at the sunny Latitude Festival Ian McMillan has gathered three top poets for The Adverb - The Verb's showcase of the best live poetry and readings. Dr John Cooper Clarke is a legend of the punk poetry scene and gets us into gear with a poem about the thrilling allure of the hire…
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28/07/2024
Why does 'mean' have so many meanings? Why do poets take metaphor so seriously? Why do objects like pink ghetto blasters make poems live? And why are the filaments of our eyes in the edges of the snow? To answer these surreal, and not so surreal questions - Ian McMillan is joined by Alistair...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Verb have?
The Verb currently has 283 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Verb about?
Ian McMillan hosts Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.
How often does The Verb release new episodes?
The Verb publishes regularly with 283 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Verb?
You can listen to The Verb on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Verb?
The Verb is created and hosted by BBC Radio 4.
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