The Poems We Made Along The Way

On today’s episode of The Poems We Made Along the Way Gregory Kearns speaks to Ian McMillan about almost a quarter of a century of The Verb, surrealism, and twenty-four hour poetry hubs.Ian McMillan is a poet, journalist, broadcaster. His books include To Fold The Evening Star, Neither Nowt Nor Summat, My Sand Life My Pebble Life and Dad the Donkey’s on Fire. He has been hosting The Verb since 2002, BBC Radio 4’s Cabaret of the word. He has worked with The Circus of Poets, a performance poetry group and Versewagon, the World’s first mobile writing workshop. Books and other thingsTo Fold the Evening Start New And Selected Poems: https://www.carcanet.co.uk/9781784101886/to-fold-the-evening-star/My Sand Life, My Pebble Life: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/my-sand-life-my-pebble-life-9781472982957/ You can also use our affiliate link for Bookshop to find most of the books by most of the guests from the show. They are organised into lists for each series. If you use this link, we get a fraction of the money you spend: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/series-six-the-poems-we-made-along-the-way        We’d also recommend enquiring with your local bookshops or libraries as well.The Verb on Radio 4: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b006tnsf?page=1 Things to read/watch/listen/etc in relationship to this interview:Ian MacMillan*, The er Barnsley Seascapes (Poetry): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzimhyGgLUE Ian MacMillan*, the Bard of Yorkshire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3OyfhnwnSE The UsualMake sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing and if you enjoyed this episode consider sharing it with a friend or anyone else you think might also like it.Theme tune: Joe Chesterman-March who can be found here: https://joecm.co.uk    Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ThePoemsWeMade  *The publisher’s misspelling not mine

On today’s episode of The Poems We Made Along the Way Gregory Kearns speaks to Roma Havers about writing for commission early in a career, queerness in the archive, and following meaningful coincidences.Roma Havers is a queer poet, theatre-maker and unsolicited go-go dancer – from your hometown but living in Manchester with their partner, allotment and every stone they’ve ever pocketed. Commissioned by Orchestra’s Live, Manchester City of Literature and Manchester Museum, among many others, they are known for their ‘joyful, communal and tender’ work. Their debut collection ‘The Natural Way’ was published by Carcanet in February 2026.Books and other thingsThe Natural Way: https://www.carcanet.co.uk/9781800175464/the-natural-way/You can also use our affiliate link for Bookshop to find most of the books by most of the guests from the show. They are organised into lists for each series. If you use this link, we get a fraction of the money you spend: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/series-six-the-poems-we-made-along-the-way             We’d also recommend enquiring with your local bookshops or libraries as well.Things to read/watch/listen/etc in relationship to this interview:Kayleigh Hicks & Roma Havers - Act 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxfzeGIVKb4&t=20sLet the Artists in! Roma Havers: https://www.mmu.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/story/let-artists-roma-haversThe UsualMake sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing and if you enjoyed this episode consider sharing it with a friend or anyone else you think might also like it.Theme tune: Joe Chesterman-March who can be found here: https://joecm.co.uk    Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ThePoemsWeMade

On today’s episode of The Poems We Made Along the Way Gregory Kearns speaks to Helen Calcutt about working with children, translating language into movement, and how her perspective on tackling sensitive material in poetry has changed. Helen Calcutt is a poet, dancer and choreographer. Her pamphlet Somehow was published by Verve Poetry Press in 2020, and her collection Feeling All the Kills was published by Pavilion Press in 2024. Helen also founded Beyond Words which is a dance theatre company, which specialises in using Hypha which is a technique Helen innovated for translating text into movement. Books and other thingsFeeling All the Kills: https://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/book/10.3828/9781802074727 Somehow: https://www.poetrybooks.co.uk/collections/verve-poetry-press/products/somehow-by-helen-calcutt You can also use our affiliate link for Bookshop to find most of the books by most of the guests from the show. They are organised into lists for each series. If you use this link, we get a fraction of the money you spend: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/series-six-the-poems-we-made-along-the-way              We’d also recommend enquiring with your local bookshops or libraries as well.https://helencalcutt.com/ https://www.beyondwordsdancetheatre.com/grief-is-the-thing-with-feathers Things to read/watch/listen/etc in relationship to this interview:Tsaá with Helen Calcutt: Writing pain and love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqJZ6rXsVE0&t=1718s Grief Is the Thing with Feathers - Dance Adapation by Beyond Words Dance Theatre: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6p_cNyl5IgThe UsualMake sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing and if you enjoyed this episode consider sharing it with a friend or anyone else you think might also like it.Theme tune: Joe Chesterman-March who can be found here: https://joecm.co.uk    

On today’s episode of The Poems We Made Along the Way Gregory Kearns speaks to Taz Rahman about what being a wedding photographer teaches you about poetry, the importance of poetry libraries, and negating our sense of hurt.Taz Rahman is a poet, photographer and broadcaster based in Cardiff. He founder Wales’ first Poetry YouTube Channel Just Another Poet, where he captures poetry events and has an wide array of amazing interviews with poets. His debut collection East of the Sun, West of the Moon was published in 2024 with Seren press. Books and other thingsEast of the Sun, West of the Moon: https://www.serenbooks.com/book/east-of-the-sun-west-of-the-moon/ You can also use our affiliate link for Bookshop to find most of the books by most of the guests from the show. They are organised into lists for each series. If you use this link, we get a fraction of the money you spend: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/series-six-the-poems-we-made-along-the-way              We’d also recommend enquiring with your local bookshops or libraries as well.Things to read/watch/listen/etc in relationship to this interview:Just Another Poet YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@justanotherpoet2542 The UsualMake sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing and if you enjoyed this episode consider sharing it with a friend or anyone else you think might also like it.Theme tune: Joe Chesterman-March who can be found here: https://joecm.co.uk    

On today’s episode of The Poems We Made Along the Way Gregory Kearns speaks to Michael Symmons Roberts about Filmmaker Tarkovsky, faith in poetry, and The Royal Literary Fund.Michael Symmons Roberts is a poet, librettist, Professor at Manchester Metropolitan University, and worked at the BBC in radio and then as a documentary filmmaker. He has published 9 collections, the most recent is called Dogstar and was published earlier this month by Jonathan Cape. Books and other thingsDogstar: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/474274/dog-star-by-roberts-michael-symmons/9781787336032 Ransom: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/442539/ransom-by-michael-symmons-roberts/9781787333123Mancunia : https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/434442/mancunia-by-michael-symmons-roberts/9781911214298Drysalter: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/411086/drysalter-by-michael-symmons-roberts/9781448181407 You can also use our affiliate link for Bookshop to find most of the books by most of the guests from the show. They are organised into lists for each series. If you use this link, we get a fraction of the money you spend: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/series-five-the-poems-we-made-along-the-way            We’d also recommend enquiring with your local bookshops or libraries as well.Things to read/watch/listen/etc in relationship to this interview:Michael Symmons Roberts talks about his work (2017): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVjhZx2pt60Michael Symmons Roberts talks about his work (2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CY5SGZumwI The UsualMake sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing and if you enjoyed this episode consider sharing it with a friend or anyone else you think might also like it.Theme tune: Joe Chesterman-March who can be found here: https://joecm.co.uk    

On today’s episode of The Poems We Made Along the Way Gregory Kearns speaks to Martin Kratz the poetics of touch, his interesting relationship with the German and English languages, and the importance of co-curation at Manchester Poetry Library.Martin Kratz is a poet, translator, and programme manager at Manchester Poetry Library. He was co-editor of Mount London (Penned in the Margins, 2014) and the author of a poetry pamphlet, A Skeleton’s Progress (Poetry Salzburg, 2018).Books and other thingsA Skelton’s Progress: https://www.poetrysalzburg.com/skeleton.htm You can also use our affiliate link for Bookshop to find most of the books by most of the guests from the show. They are organised into lists for each series. If you use this link, we get a fraction of the money you spend: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/series-five-the-poems-we-made-along-the-way             We’d also recommend enquiring with your local bookshops or libraries as well.Manchester Poetry Library: https://www.mmu.ac.uk/poetry-library Things to read/watch/listen/etc in relationship to this interview:Commemoration Day of Ferdowsi 2021, Martin Kratz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVjhZx2pt60 Martin Kratz and Scott Lilley : York - European Poetry Festival 2022: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6p_cNyl5Ig The UsualMake sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing and if you enjoyed this episode consider sharing it with a friend or anyone else you think might also like it.Theme tune: Joe Chesterman-March who can be found here: https://joecm.co.uk    

On today’s episode of The Poems We Made Along the Way Gregory Kearns speaks to Natalie Shapero about line breaks, stand up comedy and only writing in iambic pentameter for the first 7 years of being a poet.Natalie Shapero is a poet and teacher. Her most recent collection is Stay Dead published in the UK by Outspoken Press and in the US by Copper Canyon Press. And of course it was shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize. Her previous collections include Popular Longing, Hard Child and No Object. She teaches at UC Irvine. Thank you to the T.S. Eliot Prize for facilitating this episode as part of a series of interviews with poets shortlisted for the 2025 prize. www.tseliot.com/prize/prize-year/the-t-s-eliot-prize-2025/        Books and other thingsStay Dead: https://www.outspokenldn.com/shop/staydeadPopular Longing: https://www.coppercanyonpress.org/books/popular-longing-by-natalie-shapero/ Hard Child: https://www.powells.com/book/hard-child-9781556595097 No Object: https://www.powells.com/book/no-object-9780983368670 You can also use our affiliate link for Bookshop to find most of the books by most of the guests from the show. They are organised into lists for each series. If you use this link, we get a fraction of the money you spend: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/series-five-the-poems-we-made-along-the-way            We’d also recommend enquiring with your local bookshops or libraries as well.Things to read/watch/listen/etc in relationship to this interview:Natalie Shapero talks about her work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWAiZLPfoME Natalie Shapero Drunk as a Poet: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/natalie-shapero/id1735261299?i=1000731801211 The UsualMake sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing and if you enjoyed this episode consider sharing it with a friend or anyone else you think might also like it.Theme tune: Joe Chesterman-March who can be found here: https://joecm.co.uk    

On today’s episode of The Poems We Made Along the Way Gregory Kearns speaks to Catherine-Esther Cowie about persona poetry as a type of mask work, how we are thoughtful about not perpetuating violence when we write about it, and making sure we don’t use craft to obscure the heart of the poem.Catherine-Esther Cowie is a poet, fiction writer and visual artist. She was born and raised on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. She attended high-school, undergrad and graduate schools in Canada and the US. Currently, Catherine-Esther resides in Illinois. Her work has been nominated for AWP Intro Journal, a Pushcart Prize and Best New Poets 2018 and 2019. Her visual art was nominated for the Best of the Net Anthology 2023. Her debut Collection Heirloom is published by Carcanet .Thank you to the T.S. Eliot Prize for facilitating this episode as part of a series of interviews with poets shortlisted for the 2025 prize. www.tseliot.com/prize/prize-year/the-t-s-eliot-prize-2025/       Books and other thingsHeirloom: https://www.carcanet.co.uk/9781800174795/heirloom/You can also use our affiliate link for Bookshop to find most of the books by most of the guests from the show. They are organised into lists for each series. If you use this link, we get a fraction of the money you spend: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/series-five-the-poems-we-made-along-the-way           We’d also recommend enquiring with your local bookshops or libraries as well.Things to read/watch/listen/etc in relationship to this interview:Young Critic Aphra Le Levier-Bennett reviews Catherine-Esther Cowie's Heirloomhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysqPl9nMfT0Poetry Today: 9/15/2025 Esther Cowie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFF5bSSEJXw&t=255sROSALÍA: The LUX Interview | The Zane Lowe Interviewhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCcoi3Tzv_Y The UsualMake sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing and if you enjoyed this episode consider sharing it with a friend or anyone else you think might also like it.Theme tune: Joe Chesterman-March who can be found here: https://joecm.co.uk    

On today’s episode of The Poems We Made Along the Way Gregory Kearns speaks to Isabelle Baafi about Dungeons and Dragons, how being a poetry critic effects the writing of poetry, and exploring poetic forms.Isabelle Baafi is a poet and editor based in London. Her debut collection Chaotic Good won the Jerwood Prize for Best First Collection, is a Poetry Book Society Recommendation and is shortlisted for the T.S, Eliot Prize. She is the Reviews Editor at Poetry London and is a Ledbury Poetry Critic, an Obsidian Foundation Fellow and board member at Magma.Thank you to the T.S. Eliot Prize for facilitating this episode as part of a series of interviews with poets shortlisted for the 2025 prize. www.tseliot.com/prize/prize-year/the-t-s-eliot-prize-2025/      Books and other thingsChaotic Good: https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571390953-chaotic-good/You can also use our affiliate link for Bookshop to find most of the books by most of the guests from the show. They are organised into lists for each series. If you use this link, we get a fraction of the money you spend: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/series-five-the-poems-we-made-along-the-way          We’d also recommend enquiring with your local bookshops or libraries as well.An incomplete list of poems/books mentioned in this episode:American Sonnet for My Past and Future Assassin by Terrance Hayes https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/143917/american-sonnet-for-my-past-and-future-assassin-598dc83c976f1A man is dragging a dead dog by Jack Underwood: https://poetryarchive.org/poem/man-dragging-dead-dog/  January Children by Safia Elhillo: https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/9780803295988/the-january-children/Cannibal by Safiya Sinclair: https://safiyasinclair.com/cannibal Things I read/watched/etc in the lead up to this interview:In Conversation with Isabelle Baafi: https://forwardartsfoundation.org/in-conversation-with-isabelle-baafi/ sub(VERSE)ive: In Conversation with Isabelle Baafi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU4Blu8Ke-c&t=1107s The UsualMake sure you don’t miss future episodes by subscribing and if you enjoyed this episode consider sharing it with a friend or anyone else you think might also like it.Theme tune: Joe Chesterman-March who can be found here: https://joecm.co.uk