What does love sound like? Which phrases transport us home? What are the sounds that matter to you? From a chorus of seals recorded under arctic ice to speeches that have saved lives, settle in to explore the depths of the British Library sound collection, with author and poet Lemn Sissay and some very special wordsmiths. Together they will discover how language, voice and sound has shaped us, our world and our identities. Press play on a world of sound.
Unlocking Our Sound Heritage is a UK-wide project, made possible by the National Heritage Lottery Fund, that will help save the nation’s sounds and open them up to everyone.
A Pixiu production.
Last refreshed: ⓘ
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more
This episode delves into how poetry, particularly performance poetry, serves as a powerful lens for exploring personal and societal truths. Lemn Sissay and Vanessa Kisuule discuss her viral poem "Hollow" and its impact on confronting history. They examine the role of poetry in fostering emotional intelligence, the complexities of autobiographical expression, and how live performance evolves the written word. The conversation features archival recordings from poets Indigo Williams, Anthony Joseph, David J, and James Berry, highlighting diverse approaches to truth-telling and the artist's responsibility.
When did you last take part in a protest? Perhaps you signed a petition; joined a debate on social media; wrote to your MP or read an impassioned poem. In this episode Lemn is joined by Shami Chakrabarti to examine how campaigners have used language to further their aims throughout the centuries. Together, they listen to inspiring voices from the British Library Sound Archive, from leaders such as Nelson Mandela to campaigners fighting for LGBTQ rights, punk musicians and suffragettes such as Ch...
From stories about star-crossed lovers to heartfelt poetry, we’re enamoured with love itself. But how do we capture what love feels like in language? Novelist Monica Ali joins Lemn to explore affairs of the heart through the British Library Sound Archive. Monica Ali is a bestselling writer and Booker Prize nominee whose work has been translated into 26 languages. She’s written five books: Brick Lane, Alentejo Blue, In the Kitchen, Untold Story and her most recent is called Love Marriage. Recordi...
Lemn is tucking in the British Library Sound Archive with food writer Jonathan Nunn. Jonathan edits the food newsletter Vittles, and has written for various publications including the Guardian and Eater. Together, they’re exploring the relationship between food and language: both are passed down through generations and are closely linked to identity. But how do the ways we talk about food change over time? And what does the history of food writing tell us about how society has changed? Recording...
Where would our language be without the sea? Aground, adrift, the wind taken from our sails. In today’s episode, Lemn is diving beneath the surface into the British Library Sound Archive (see full credits below) to hear how language, on this island nation, has been shaped by the sea. To help on his quest, he’s joined by Scottish writer Amy Liptrot, whose 2018 memoir The Outrun won the PEN Ackerley Prize and the Wainwright Prize. In the book, Amy returns to the wildness of Orkney, an archipelago ...
When we migrate, can language help us feel at home? And how can words make us feel unwelcome? How does migration affect the ways we communicate and express ourselves in writing, poetry, performance? In this episode, Lemn is joined by poet and playwright Inua Ellams to listen to some highlights from the British Library Sound Archive and explore the relationship between language and migration. Inua Ellams wrote the Barber Shop Chronicles which sold out all its runs at the National Theatre in Londo...
Which sounds transport you home? Lemn is joined by BAFTA award-winning writer, actor, comedian and creator of the BBC’s Alma’s Not Normal, Sophie Willan, to ask this question. Together, they listen to stand-out recordings from the British Library Sound Archive (see credits below) to investigate what home means to us. From Sophie’s thoughts on Lancashire phrases disappearing, to her memories of growing up in the care system, to a forgotten love of George Formby, the archive inspires a fascinating...
Are we listening hard enough to the sounds of nature? Collaborators Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris join Lemn to ask this question. With the help of the British Library sound archive, (see credits below) they’re summoning back the lost sounds and words of the natural world. Robert is a fellow at the University of Cambridge and known for his books on landscape and nature. Jackie is an illustrator and writer. Together, they created the book The Lost Words to ‘conjure back the near-lost magic a...
Poet, playwright, rapper and activist Kae Tempest joins Lemn Sissay to discuss the power of live performance. Inspired by recordings in the British Library Sound Archive (see below for a full list) their conversation explores why Kae starting performing spoken word, what the atmosphere of a gig means to them and why they think we love to hear words performed live. Kae has won the Ted Hughes Award, their albums Everybody Down and Let Them Eat Chaos were nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and t...
Welcome to the new series from the British Library hosted by Lemn Sissay and featuring Kae Tempest, Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris, Monica Ali, Shami Chakrabarti, Jonathan Nunn, Amy Liptrot, Sophie Willan and Inua Ellams. Subscribe now.
