Notes on The Verb
Taking notes with Ian are Toby Litt and Jude Rogers. Presenter: Ian McMillan Producer: Cecile Wright.
Feb 23, 2018•48 min
The Verb
Radio 3's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more
Episodes
The Verb on Return
This week we're looking the possibilities of looking back. Joining Ian McMillan are... Novelist and essayist Tim Winton has been twice shortlisted for the Booker prize for his novels 'The Riders' and 'Dirt Music'. In his most recent book, 'The Boy Behind the Curtain', he returns to his childhood. The comedian Stewart Lee has honed the art of the callback over a long career writing for television and radio alongside his stand-up touring schedule. Angie Hobbs is the Professor of the Public Underst...
Feb 16, 2018•45 min
Fighting Talk
How do you write a fight? Ian McMillan and Hollie McNish are joined by Ross Sutherland, Ben Crystal, Willy Vlautin and Theresa Lola to talk about punching with a pen. Willy Vlautin is an American novelist and musician. He is the lead singer for Richmond Fontaine, and his latest novel 'Don't Skip out on Me' (Faber), follows a young man who dreams of being a championship boxer. The poet Ross Sutherland has written a brand new commission for The Verb inspired by the Jackie Chan film 'Rumble in the ...
Feb 02, 2018•45 min
The Wellbeing Verb
January is a month of resolutions and fresh starts, of gyms and diets. This week Ian McMillan and guests tackle the language of Wellbeing and Self-Care. Poets are not generally known for their physical prowess, but in George Szirtes new collection 'Thirty Poets Go To The Gym' (Candlestick). What happens when famous poets from Lord Byron to John Berryman and from Emily Dickinson to Elizabeth Bishop try to get into shape? What are the strongest influences on the ways we chose to live our lives? Do...
Jan 26, 2018•48 min
Kerry Andrew, Danez Smith, Hollie McNish and Jenni Fagan
Ian McMillan and Hollie McNish present the best in new poetry. Joining them this week are Remi Adefesysian, Jenni Fagan, Kerry Andrew and Danez Smith Presenter: Ian McMillan Producer: Cecile Wright.
Jan 19, 2018•50 min
Lord Fox, David Crystal and Jenny Colgan
On the programme this week, linguist David Crystal is looking at pronunciation - what does is mean to have a 'friendly accent'? Inspired by David's writing is a brand new poem from Mike Garry which plays with 'Approximants' - consonants that sound like vowels and are often seen as being friendly. In 'Spandex and the City' (Orbit), novelist Jenny Colgan finds out what happens when a romantic heroine meets a superhero, and we hear an extract from 'Lord Fox', a collaboration between the writer Kirs...
Jan 12, 2018•50 min
Chest of Drawers
The Verb welcomes January's fresh starts and clear-outs with poems on empty drawers and new beginnings. Ron Padgett, Hollie McNish, Laurie Bolger, Lennox Cato and Harry Giles join Ian McMillan.
Jan 05, 2018•49 min
The Verb's 'Out of this World' Christmas Special
Joining Ian McMillan for a sci-fi themed Christmas party are Carol Ann Duffy, Hollie McNish, Abandoman, Paul Magrs, Katy Manning and Verb New Voice Laura Potts. Recorded in front of a studio audience at Media City.
Dec 29, 2017•52 min
The Scrolling Verb
How has the scrolling we do on social media changed writers and readers, and what does it have in common with ancient scrolls? Join Ian McMillan as he uses the power of poetry and performance to answer these questions - with the actor and writer David Schneider, poet Ira Lightman, artist Vicki Bennett, and scroll unrollers Roberta Mazza and Richard Gameson.
Dec 08, 2017•49 min
How do you choose a mentor?
This week on The Verb we're looking at writing mentors. How much different can a mentor make, how can we learn from their writing, and what kind of language should a mentor use? Joining Ian is the comedian Margaret Cho, who was profoundly influenced by her friend and mentor Joan Rivers. Margaret is a groundbreaking American comic who has been Emmy and Grammy nominated five times, hosts the podcast 'Monsters of Talk' and is currently on tour with her latest stand-up show 'Fresh Off The Boat'. Tim...
Dec 01, 2017•49 min
The Verb Celebrates 35 Years of Spoken Word
Ian McMillan presents a special extended edition of Radio 3's The Verb recorded as part of Contains Strong Language, a season of poetry and performance from Hull, UK City of Culture 2017. Ian McMillan is joined by a host of spoken word talent to celebrate the story of spoken-word performance in the UK on the 35th anniversary of 'Apples and Snakes'. John Agard has been performing spoken word across the UK for over 30 years. His poem celebrates the Voice as he reminds us that 'Shakespeare was a pe...
Nov 24, 2017•1 hr 42 min
The Stoic Verb
What does it mean to live a Stoic life in 2017? With the current resurgence of interest in Stoic ideas,, The Verb investigates. Helping Ian is the philosopher Angie Hobbs, technology writer Tom Chatfield, Coralie Bickford Smith, Ned Boulting and John Osborne. Producer: Faith Lawrence.
Nov 10, 2017•48 min
The Tense Verb
Philip Pullman, Hollie McNish, Francesca Martinez and David Denison join Ian McMillan A masterclass in using 'tense' for writers. Philip Pullman, author of the 'His Dark Materials' series, explains why the fashion for the present tense can limit writers of fiction and celebrates the 'classical tone' of Philippa Pearce. Francesca Martinez delights in the present tense of comedy, whilst Hollie McNish introduces Erin Fornoff and her poem of 'back and forth' tenses. Linguist David Denison reveals ho...
Nov 03, 2017•49 min
Tim Minchin
Comedian, songwriter, lyricist and composer Tim Minchin sits down at the piano for a special programme - an extended conversation with Ian McMillan. Over 45 minutes they discuss the influences on his language, exploring the writing process behind the music and lyrics from his acclaimed musicals (the Tony award winning 'Matilda' and the more recent 'Groundhog Day'), and the pleasure he takes in letting the sounds of word lead his writing in his comic songs. He also talks about publishing his firs...
Oct 27, 2017•48 min
The Society of the Spectacle
It's fifty years since the publication of 'The Society of the Spectacle' by the French writer and situationist Guy Debord. It's a book which continues to inspire artists and writers. Novelist Will Self argues that 'Never before has Debord's work seemed quite as relevant as it does now, in the permanent present that he so accurately foretold'. In this programme Will joins Ian McMillan, along with artist Paul Harfleet and writer Nick Harkaway to consider the idea of 'the spectacle', and, in the fi...
Oct 20, 2017•45 min
The Memory Verb
Ian McMillan presents a 'memorisable' cabaret of the word. Acclaimed biographer, historian and critic Jenny Uglow celebrates the language and rhymes of one of the most memorable poets in the English language, the 19th century artist and creator of nonsense rhymes Edward Lear. Rachel Parris and Amy Cooke-Hodgson are our improvisation 'queens' - they have worked together in award-winning improvisational theatre company 'Austentatious', and bravely take on an extreme memory challenge (inspired by L...
Oct 13, 2017•48 min
The Verb at the Contains Strong Language Festival of poetry and performance
Ian McMillan presents The Verb , Radio 3's cabaret of the spoken word with a host of international poets from Latvia, America and Poland, including Michael Dickman, Bodhan Piasecki and Orbita. Ian also explores the Trinidad Talking Doorsteps project with Joe Hakim . Recorded in front of a studio audience as part of Contains Strong Language, a season of Poetry and Performance from Hull. Producer: Faith Lawrence.
Oct 06, 2017•44 min
The Verb Live from Contains Strong Language
Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's The Verb broadcasting live from Contains Strong Language, a season of Poetry and Performance from Hull, with a look at the poetry inspired by the city, including the 2017 new ' washing line' poems with Dean Wilson and Vicky Foster, and Imtiaz Dharker's new piece for the JoinedUp dance company.
Sep 29, 2017•47 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android
Open in Metacast