Tag: recordings

Alice Oswald at the BBC

Alice Oswald at Book Club

 

Something different. I answered the Poetry Society’s call for audience members at a recording of BBC Radio 4’s ‘Book Club’. The guest poet being interviewed by James Naughtie was Alice Oswald. I’ve heard the stories about Alice rarely giving interviews or readings, and since the session was to discuss her 2016 collection Falling Awake (which I loved), I thought it would be fun to do.

I’d never been to the iconic Broadcasting House before, so that in itself was exciting. I wanted to take a photo of the huge Latin inscription in the foyer but I was a bit intimidated by all the security and number of people standing around wearing headsets and keeping an eye on the poets as we all loitered waiting to be ‘called in’.  I just assumed the audience members would be poets, and I wasn’t far wrong. There was a large group of people from Poet in the City for starters. And I was happy to spot a familiar face in Cheryl Moskowitz.

The discussion/recording took place in the Council Chamber, a semi-circular wood-panelled room which dates from when the building was first opened in 1931. Huge portraits of past Director-Generals look down on you, and the Art Deco is everywhere, including the lovely clock face above the fireplace. For me, it was worth going just to see all that!

Art Deco fireplace at the Beeb

There were about thirty in the audience, and quite a few of us got the chance to ask a question. Alice’s answers were fascinating, and although I wish I could have recorded it, I guess that’s a bit daft as it’s going to be broadcast in February anyway. Whether or not ‘my’ question makes the final edit remains to be seen!

BBC Council Chamber Book Club recording

From the Poetry Archive: Thom Gunn

Thom Gunn

I’m having a very self-indulgent morning. I was hoping to listen to an episode or two of ‘Poetry Please‘ but for some reason all the episodes from 2012 -2013 listed at the BBC iplayer site are ‘not currently available’.  So then I moved onto the Poetry Archive for inspiration.  I’m sorry to say I was a little bit disappointed with the Elizabeth Bishop recordings. Much as I love her work I wasn’t grabbed by her delivery of the few (quite long) poems on offer here. Perhaps I ought to learn some stamina.

But Thom Gunn was another matter – I haven’t read anything by him since schooldays but I’m now motivated to seek him out, having read and listened to the two poems recorded  here – Moly, and Considering the Snail. Many things about both these poems really appeal to me, and I love his delivery in a british-american hybrid accent (I’m avoiding the rather sleazy word ‘transatlantic’.) Worth a listen.