Episodes

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01Identity20171113Poet, playwright and performer Sabrina Mahfouz talks to spoken word performers from across the UK.

In this second episode, Sabrina looks at identity and empathy with poets from Wrexham to Huddersfield and from Birmingham to Southend-On-Sea.

She talks to poet and playwright Yomi Sode about writing with his family and moving from the stage to the page. Welsh writer Sophie McKeand explains how walking in the woods informs her work. Bohdan Piasecki performs a poem in Polish. And Sabrina seeks out Lisa Luxx whose performances are celebrated for their power and connectivity.

The poems featured in this episode are:

Jet Sweeney "RIP(E)"

Yomi Sode "Take It Back" (from the Roundhouse "And Now What" Season)

Yomi Sode "Daily Ijo"

Catherine Wilson "Today I Took A Bus Ride With My Anxiety"

Sophie McKeand "How. To. Ask. For. Help."

Bohdan Piasecki "Cisza"

Lisa Luxx "Grandmother Earth"

Producer: Sally Spurring

A Wire Free production for BBC Radio 4.

Poet Sabrina Mahfouz talks to spoken word performers from across the UK.

Series about the world of spoken word poetry and how it is gaining popularity in the UK.

01Place20171120Poet and playwright Inua Ellams looks at how place plays out in spoken word poetry with writers from Orkney, Manchester, Salford and Donaghadee in Northern Ireland.

Inua talks to poet and performer Harry Giles about language, literary baggage and growing up LGBT in Orkney. Writer Elmi Ali and members of the Young Identity collective tell him what it means to be a Mancunian poet. And he talks to Rachel McCrum about audiences, accents and nostalgia for the place where you spent your childhood.

The poems featured in this episode are:

Harry Giles "Visa Wedding"

Harry Giles "Drone" with music by Neil Simpson

Kieren King "Salford Is A Broadway Musical"

Rachel McCrum "Broad"

Roma Havers

Shameer Rayes "Reasons"

Damani "Violet Skies"

Isaiah Hull "The Mirror"

Emil Ali "Water Seeds Not Stones" (play extract)

Inua Ellams "Ghetto Van Gogh"

The Midnight Run featuring Kelly Foster (tour guide and Brixton historian)

Producer: Sally Spurring

A Wire Free production for BBC Radio 4.

Poet Inua Ellams looks at how spoken word is tied to location.

Series about the world of spoken word poetry and how it is gaining popularity in the UK.

01Politics20171106A series about how the dynamic world of spoken word poetry is thriving in communities across the whole of the UK.

In three programmes, Power Lines explores the escalating popularity of spoken word among audiences who have traditionally avoided poetry altogether. Through politics, identity and place, presenters Sabrina Mahfouz and Inua Ellams look at how spoken word has become the breeding ground for a whole new generation of writers who are changing poetry in the UK. They cross the country talking to poets from Manchester, Huddersfield, Bury, Edinburgh, Bristol and Wrexham, on boats, in forests, theatres, parks and pubs, challenging the assertion that spoken word is, as poet Joelle Taylor puts it, "the dumb cousin of 'real' poetry".

Programme One: Politics

Poet and playwright Inua Ellams talks to spoken word poet Zia Ahmed who deals with his frustration with racism by 'speaking it out'. Peter Bearder explains how some protest poets are being drawn into mainstream politics through the Labour Party. And he finds 23 year old Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan whose slam competition winning poem has been viewed by over two million people online.

The poems featured in the programme are:

JJ Bola "I Found Hip Hop"

Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan " This Is Not A Humanising Poem"

Zia Ahmed "Home"

Joelle Taylor "Everything You Have Ever Lost" and "The Correct Spelling of My Name"

Pete (the Temp) Bearder "Manifesto for a Revolutionary Poetic"

A Wire Free production for BBC Radio 4.

The dynamic and burgeoning world of UK spoken word poetry.

Series about the world of spoken word poetry and how it is gaining popularity in the UK.

02City2019112420191130 (R4)Poet and proud Brummie Amerah Saleh takes us on a tour of the booming poetry scene in Birmingham.

From open mics to one of the city's biggest theatres, Amerah talks to the writers and performers turning Birmingham into a poetry power house. She meets people just starting out, emerging talent developing their skills, and artists established in the poetry world.

Young poets tell her about their motivation to perform in public. Emerging poet Shaun Hill speaks about coming up through small gigs and how the city has shaped his poetry. Established performer Jasmine Gardosi discusses two very different sides of Birmingham and Steven Camden, aka Polar Bear, talks about how being a Brummie is still at the heart of his work, even though he moved away.

The poets featured in this episode are:

Afrah Yafai

Nafeesa Hamid

Bohdan Piasecki

Steven Camden / Polarbear

Holly Bee

Liam O'Rourke

Producers: Tom MacAndrew and Husain Husaini

Executive Producer: Sally Spurring

A Wire Free production for BBC Radio 4

Poet and proud Brummie Amerah Saleh leads a tour of Birmingham's booming poetry scene.

Series about the world of spoken word poetry and how it is gaining popularity in the UK.

Poet and proud Brummie Amerah Saleh takes us on a tour of the booming poetry scene in Birmingham.

From open mics to one of the city's biggest theatres, Amerah talks to the writers and performers turning Birmingham into a poetry power house. She meets people just starting out, emerging talent developing their skills, and artists established in the poetry world.

Young poets tell her about their motivation to perform in public. Emerging poet Shaun Hill speaks about coming up through small gigs and how the city has shaped his poetry. Established performer Jasmine Gardosi discusses two very different sides of Birmingham and Steven Camden, aka Polar Bear, talks about how being a Brummie is still at the heart of his work, even though he moved away.

The poets featured in this episode are:

Afrah Yafai

Nafeesa Hamid

Bohdan Piasecki

Steven Camden / Polarbear

Holly Bee

Liam O'Rourke

Producers: Tom MacAndrew and Husain Husaini

Executive Producer: Sally Spurring

A Wire Free production for BBC Radio 4

Poet and proud Brummie Amerah Saleh leads a tour of Birmingham's booming poetry scene.

Series about the world of spoken word poetry and how it is gaining popularity in the UK.

02Class20191208Poet, playwright and performer Sabrina Mahfouz looks at working class poetics, talking to poets across the UK about their work and how performing poetry shows has been an avenue into theatre and page poetry for many who would have otherwise been excluded due to class.

Poets:

Bridget Minamore

Fran Lock

Toria Garbutt

Anthony Anaxagorou

Wayne Holloway Smith

Jamie Thrasivoulou

A Wire Free production for BBC Radio 4

Poet, playwright and performer Sabrina Mahfouz on contemporary working class poetics.

Series about the world of spoken word poetry and how it is gaining popularity in the UK.

02Class2019120820191214 (R4)Poet, playwright and performer Sabrina Mahfouz looks at working class poetics, talking to poets across the UK about their work and how performing poetry shows has been an avenue into theatre and page poetry for many who would have otherwise been excluded due to class.

Poets:

Bridget Minamore

Fran Lock

Toria Garbutt

Anthony Anaxagorou

Wayne Holloway Smith

Jamie Thrasivoulou

A Wire Free production for BBC Radio 4

Poet, playwright and performer Sabrina Mahfouz on contemporary working class poetics.

Series about the world of spoken word poetry and how it is gaining popularity in the UK.

02Culture20191203As poetry events, audiences and online views of performances multiply, poet and performer Yomi ?ode looks at the cultures around poetry. Talking to poets where they make their work he finds that community inspires and supports new and established writers but that finding a voice can be both thrilling and painful.

Yomi hears from Kareem Parkins-Brown about winning the Roundhouse 2019 poetry slam, but still feeling like an imposter and trying to integrate his world with the poetry world. Bridget Minamore speaks about the costs of code-switching: shifting from one linguistic and cultural register to another. Sola Browne talks about the influence of mentors and performs at BoxedIN an open mic event run by Yomi where the crowd is loud and first timers and circuit stars feed off the audience energy. Malika Booker and Nick Makoha talk about craft, the global and historical community of poets and hard work.

The poets featured in this episode are:

Kareen Parkins-Brown

Yomi Sode

Producer: Natalie Steed

Executive Producer: Sally Spurring

A Wire Free production for BBC Radio 4.

Poet and performer Yomi \u1e62ode looks at the dynamic cultures surrounding contemporary poetry

Series about the world of spoken word poetry and how it is gaining popularity in the UK.

02Culture2019120320191207 (R4)As poetry events, audiences and online views of performances multiply, poet and performer Yomi ?ode looks at the cultures around poetry. Talking to poets where they make their work he finds that community inspires and supports new and established writers but that finding a voice can be both thrilling and painful.

Yomi hears from Kareem Parkins-Brown about winning the Roundhouse 2019 poetry slam, but still feeling like an imposter and trying to integrate his world with the poetry world. Bridget Minamore speaks about the costs of code-switching: shifting from one linguistic and cultural register to another. Sola Browne talks about the influence of mentors and performs at BoxedIN an open mic event run by Yomi where the crowd is loud and first timers and circuit stars feed off the audience energy. Malika Booker and Nick Makoha talk about craft, the global and historical community of poets and hard work.

The poets featured in this episode are:

Kareen Parkins-Brown

Yomi Sode

Producer: Natalie Steed

Executive Producer: Sally Spurring

A Wire Free production for BBC Radio 4.

Poet and performer Yomi \u1e62ode looks at the dynamic cultures surrounding contemporary poetry

Series about the world of spoken word poetry and how it is gaining popularity in the UK.

0301Music2021080820210814 (R4)Yomi ?ode talks to poets about the power of music.

Poetry and music has a history spanning centuries. In this episode, Power Lines brings together 21st century poets whose work is underpinned by a love of music to talk about that influence and to perform poems reflecting that passion.

Roger Robinson and Caleb Femi are both poets and recording artists and join Yomi in a conversation about the importance of music to their lives and work.

Jessie Summerhayes is a new poet whose poetry writing took off during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, when she began creating new work with her folk musician dad, part of the folk duo Ciderhouse Rebellion. They perform a new poem in the open air of the North Yorkshire Moors.

Miss Yankey argues for a broader adoption of spoken word across all genres of music and performs 'I Still Pray For You'.

Kayo Chingonyi is a poet, DJ and passionate unraveller of the meaning and making of lyrics. He talks to Yomi and reads 16 Bars for the Bits from his new collection A Blood Condition.

And Yomi reflects on Remnants, his collaboration with Chi-chi Nwanoku's Chineke! Orchestra and composer James B Wilson to mark a powerful moment in the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020. Its public premiere to a live audience was the first performance after the reopening of the Royal Festival Hall in London.

A Bellow Stories production for BBC Radio 4

Yomi \u1e62ode talks to poets about the power of music.

Series about the world of spoken word poetry and how it is gaining popularity in the UK.

0302 Body2021081520210821 (R4)Writer Bridget Minamore talks to poets about the way our bodies affect our writing.

Bridget speaks to her former mentee and 2020 Poetry Slam winner Elliot Waloschek about his relationship with his body, and how it has changed his writing and performance during the process of transitioning.

Poet and DJ Kayo Chingonyi explores how poets excavate the stories, themes and ideas held within the human body.

Bridget follows the impact of infertility, birth and parenthood on the work of poet Sally Jenkinson on a sunny walk through the Forest of Dean.

Daniel Sluman, poet and disability rights activist, shares how his poetry changed his view and relationship with his own body.

And photographer and poet Amaal Said, and Founder of Octavia Collective Rachel Long, reflect on how their perspectives on their black female bodies have changed over time.

A Bellow Stories production for BBC Radio 4

Series about the world of spoken word poetry and how it is gaining popularity in the UK.

Writer Bridget Minamore talks to poets about the way our bodies affect our writing.

Bridget speaks to her former mentee and 2020 Poetry Slam winner Elliot Waloschek about his relationship with his body, and how it has changed his writing and performance during the process of transitioning.

Poet and DJ Kayo Chingonyi explores how poets excavate the stories, themes and ideas held within the human body.

Bridget follows the impact of infertility, birth and parenthood on the work of poet Sally Jenkinson on a sunny walk through the Forest of Dean.

Daniel Sluman, poet and disability rights activist, shares how his poetry changed his view and relationship with his own body.

And photographer and poet Amaal Said, and Founder of Octavia Collective Rachel Long, reflect on how their perspectives on their black female bodies have changed over time.

A Bellow Stories production for BBC Radio 4

Series about the world of spoken word poetry and how it is gaining popularity in the UK.

0303: Coast20210822From a windswept Brighton beach, the poet Cecilia Knapp asks how growing up by the sea has influenced her writing, pulling her back to the shoreline.

Exploring the very different coastal worlds of Shetland, St Ives, Liverpool, Dunbar and Brighton, Cecilia and her fellow poets discuss the beauty and boredom of a coastal upbringing and the things that inspire them, from teenage beach parties and the cold of the Atlantic, to dead jellyfish, phosphorescence and the vibrancy of port cities.

Poets:

Ella Frears

Ciarကn Hodgers

Hannah Lavery

Roseanne Watt

A Bellow Stories production for BBC Radio 4

Cecilia Knapp talks to poets from coastal towns and cities around Britain.

Series about the world of spoken word poetry and how it is gaining popularity in the UK.

0303: Coast2021082220210828 (R4)From a windswept Brighton beach, the poet Cecilia Knapp asks how growing up by the sea has influenced her writing, pulling her back to the shoreline.

Exploring the very different coastal worlds of Shetland, St Ives, Liverpool, Dunbar and Brighton, Cecilia and her fellow poets discuss the beauty and boredom of a coastal upbringing and the things that inspire them, from teenage beach parties and the cold of the Atlantic, to dead jellyfish, phosphorescence and the vibrancy of port cities.

Poets:

Ella Frears

Ciarကn Hodgers

Hannah Lavery

Roseanne Watt

A Bellow Stories production for BBC Radio 4

Cecilia Knapp talks to poets from coastal towns and cities around Britain.

Series about the world of spoken word poetry and how it is gaining popularity in the UK.