The Carrying Stream

This episode’s guest is Robert Crawford, Emeritus Professor at the University of St Andrews and a distinguished poet.We discuss his work, which since the 1980s has played an important role in reshaping our understanding of Scottish literature in more multilingual and multicultural terms. We also speak about his engagement with Robert Burns and T. S. Eliot, as well as his interests in fields as varied as philosophy, computing, and the Japanese haiku. The result is a wide-ranging conversation on literature, influence, and the many directions Scottish writing and scholaship can take.02.20 - Robert's origin story as a scholar of Scottish and English Literatures09.30 - Crawford vs TS Eliot on Scotland's literary tradition15.00 - Scottish literature, multilingualism and pluralism27.30 - Robert's most influential essay: 'Devolving English Literature' (1992)42.00 - Robert's work as an anthologist of Scottish verse and prose 50.45 - Robert answers some of his critics1.01.00 - Robert's biographies of Robert Burns and TS Eliot1.20.00 - Robert's forthcoming book on the Japanese haiku

This episode's guest is Dr Petra Johana Poncarová, a native speaker of Czech who has become a distinguished scholar of Gaelic literature and an emerging, award-winning poet in Gaelic. We begin with Petra’s journey into the Gaelic language, before turning to her work on Derick Thomson and Rùraidh Erskine, two key figures of the twentieth-century Gaelic revival. We finish by talking about the present and future of Gaelic — and by listening to Petra’s brand new poems, written between Czechia and the Gàidhealtachd .02.10 - Petra's journey into Gaelic and tips for Gaelic learners13.30 - Derick Thomson: icon of the twentieth-century Gaelic revival 20.30 - Derick Thomson's work on the Ossian controversy 31.00 - History and legacy of the Gaelic magazine Gairm 36.15 - Derick Thomson's poetry (with extracts)48.40 - Ruraidh Erskine of Mar: Gaelic firebrand and early Scottish nationalist55.30 - Thomson, Erskine and Petra's ideas for the Gaelic revival1.05.15 - Petra's poetry in Gaelic1.19.45 - Petra's ongoing and forthcoming works

This episode's guest is Kirsteen McCue, Professor of Scottish Literature and Song Culture at the University of Glasgow. We discuss the origins and history of Scottish folk music, and place particular emphasis on the Romantic era, when songs collected by figures such as Robert Burns became instrumental raw materials in the formation of modern music — from Haydn and Beethoven to the folk revival of the 1960s.2.00 — Kirsteen's upbringing in one of Scotland's most distinguished musical families.11.54 — Song collection in eighteenth-century Scotland (the example of George Thomson) 16.00 — The relationship between Robert Burns and Thomson22.00 — The origins of Scottish folk music28.00 — Scottish music and Enlightenment culture34.50 — Musical Extract: 'O Poortith Cauld' arranged by Weber 38.00 — Scottish music and democratic culture44.00 — Burns, Thomson, Haydn and Beethoven54.00 — Musical Extract: "The Lovely Lass of Inverness", arranged by Beethoven58.00 — The long-term influence of Scottish folk on Romantic and Modern music. 1.06.00 — From Beethoven to Bob Dylan1.15.00 — Kirsteen's current and forthcoming research work. 1.22.00 — A final musical recommendation

This episode's guest is Dr Moira Hansen, whose PhD research explores the life and mental health of Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet.We talk about Moira’s work on Burns, including her argument that he may have experienced bipolar disorder, and how this might have shaped his life, his relationships, and some of his best-known works — including "Tam o’ Shanter". It’s a thoughtful conversation about literature, mental health, and how we read figures like Burns today.01:30 – Moira's background and journey into Burns studies. 05:30 – Diagnosing an eighteenth-century poet. 18:40 – Impact of Burns's mental health on his personal, social and creative life. 28:10 – The Irvine episode: Burns's first depression?40:10 – How Burns understood his own condition. 46:10 – Frances Dunlop: Burns's correspondent and confidante. 57:10 – A new reading of "Tam o' Shanter". 65:30 – Addressing recent controversies about Burns and gender. 74:20 – Moira's influence on Alan Cumming's recent adaptation of Burns for the stage. 77:39 – Moira's forthcoming research work.

This episode's guest is Billy Kay, the Scottish writer, broadcaster and lifelong advocate for the Scots language and the status of its speakers. Our conversation is, of course, in and about Scots, but we also journey further afield from the deep ties between Scotland and France to broader questions of Scotland's global identity. 03:30 – Billy Kay's upbringing as a Scots speaker and his inspiration for his best-selling book, The Mither Tongue. 11:47 – The linguistics and politics of Scots.22:10 – Scots and social class. 35:17 – Billy Kay on his book, The Scottish World. 43:20 – The "Auld Alliance" and the wine trade. 53:09 – Billy Kay's view of the future and poetry reading.

This episode's guest is Taylor Strickland: a talented poet from the US who has learned Scottish Gaelic and recently won several awards for his superb translations of the 18th-century Jacobite poet, Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair. In 2025, Taylor also published his debut poetry collection, Dwell Time with Tapsalteerie Press.We cover a lot of ground in this conversation, from Taylor’s journey into Gaelic and his translation work, to his broader thinking about poetry — and his deep admiration for the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa.03:40 – Taylor's (poetic) journey from America to Scotland 13:20 – Taylor's transient poems and his vision of poetry23:25 – Translating Gaelic Poetry into English28:50 – Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair45:50 – Portugal and Pessoa 56:18 – Final thoughts on poetry, national identi(es) and Taylor's upcoming works.

In this introductory episode, Dr Paul Malgrati presents his vision for The Carrying Stream and explains why he is launching a podcast devoted to Scottish words and ideas.Episode 0 sets out the ethos of the project and the kind of long-form conversations the podcast aims to make space for.