February 2025 Quote of the Month

"beyond the light of memory

behind your life

there might be

other lives, waiting - ."

From 'So I step inside' by Seán Hewitt

Rapture's Road

Cape Poetry, UK, 2024

20+ Poetry Things You Could Do Today

1) Firstly check out poets reading their poems

See: Bob and Poetry.com: Short poetry clips - YouTube

For longer readings and films see: Bob and Poetry.com: Readings On YouTube - YouTube

I add to these playlists all the time so do keep checking.

2) Visit the Poetry Magazine's Page

There links to dozens of sites on poetry. Blue Marble Review - Literary Journal for Young Writers, for instance, regularly has a free, new, online magazine to read and posted new poems in January 2025.

Or, The Lake - contemporary poetry webzine - POETRY, showcases new poetry nearly every month, the most recent being January 2025.

3) (From Plume | Online Poetry Magazine)

January 2025 Edition Issue no. 161 Available

"In brief, Plume is a magazine dedicated to publishing the very best of contemporary poetry. To that end, we will be highly selective, offering twelve poems per monthly issue."

There is an extensive archive to enjoy, too

For this edition see: Plume Issue #161 January 2025 Archives - Plume

4) (From Of Poetry Podcast – Kitchen table conversations with poets)

Episode 64: Carolyn Oliver (Of Alcestis, Space and Star Trek, and What Would You Give Up For Love?) – Of Poetry Podcast

"Carolyn Oliver is the author of The Alcestis Machine (Acre Books, 2024), Inside the Storm I Want to Touch the Tremble (University of Utah Press, 2022; selected for the Agha Shahid Ali Prize), and three chapbooks. Her poems appear or are forthcoming in TriQuarterly, Image, Copper Nickel, Poetry Daily, Moist Poetry Journal, Consequence, and elsewhere. Born in Buffalo and raised in Ohio, she now lives in Massachusetts. ."

See Episode 64: Carolyn Oliver (Of Alcestis, Space and Star Trek, and What Would You Give Up For Love?)

5) (From Carol Rumens's poem of the week | Books | The Guardian website page)

Carol Rumens' Poem of the Week

A faultlessly consistent article in a national newspaper, and always available online, too.

See Poem of the week: Poem of the week: The Day of Judgement by Jonathan Swift | Jonathan Swift | The Guardian

6) (From Spotify - Web Player: Music for everyone)

Frank Skinner's Poetry Podcast

'Frank Skinner loves poetry and thinks you might like it too.' If you are able to use Spotify, I strongly recommend this podcast, which is free and has the complete archive available. Frank offers wonderful insights into poems and poets that have certainly broadened my understanding. As you would expect, from Frank Skinner his presentation style is highly engaging and entertaining. See Frank Skinner's Poetry Podcast | Podcast on Spotify

7) (From Poetry Non-Stop (poetrynonstop.com) website)

Writing prompt: Rhythmic poems with Will Ingrams

The new post was made available on 25 November 2024

"Poetry Non-Stop is back with a poet who is no stranger to the podcast. Will Ingrams talks about the importance of rhythm in poetry and shares some of his work."

Go to News – Poetry Non-Stop (poetrynonstop.com)

Here all the episodes at NaPoWriMo Poetry Non-Stop (soundcloud.com)

8) (From Granta website)

Podcast | Alan Hollinghurst

'We discuss his new novel, writing from the outsider’s perspective and cataloguing the chapters of queer life from the mid-century to now.'

Alan Hollinghurst has a close connection with the poetry world, and is an interesting person to listen to

See Podcast | Alan Hollinghurst | Granta

For the Granta podcast archive see: Granta | The Home of New Writing

9) (From Tin House website)

Between The Covers

Between the covers is a literary radio show and podcast hosted by David Naimon, is brought to you by Tin House. These long-form in-depth conversations have been singled out by the Guardian, Book Riot, the Financial Times, and BuzzFeed as one of the most notable book podcasts for writers and readers around.

For Between the Covers Podcasts visit Between the Covers Podcast - Tin House

For the most recent poetry book based podcast see: Danez Smith : Bluff - Tin House

10) (From Poetry Extra webpage )

Poetry Extra - Conversations on a Bench - Northumberland: Katrina Porteous

Daljit Nagra revisits the BBC's poetry archive.

"This features a specially commissioned poem by Katrina Porteous - shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize 2024.

Anna Scott-Brown returns to hear more stories from the people who stop to sit beside her on benches around the country. Anna is joined on a bench overlooking Beadnell Harbour in Northumberland by holiday-makers, environmentalists and some members of the last remaining fishing families of Beadnell" From 2015.

See: Poetry Extra - Conversations on a Bench - Northumberland: Katrina Porteous - BBC Sounds

11) (From The Buzz – The Hive Poetry Collective Website)

The Hive Poetry Collective: S6:E39 Christopher Buckley Chats with Julie Murphy

"Airing on KSQD 90.7 FM most Sundays at 8:00, the Hive Poetry Collective is a buzz of poets in Santa Cruz, California— a swarm of radio conversations, public readings, and writing workshops. " All episodes are available at the website.

Hear the most recent podcast posted 27 December 2024:

S6:E39 Christopher Buckley Chats with Julie Murphy by The Hive Poetry Collective

12) (From West Wilts Radio)

The Poetry Place (Click for archive)

"The Poetry Place is a monthly poetry magazine programme bringing you news, views, readings and interviews from today’s poetry community, both locally and further afield. Presented by Dawn Gorman and Peter O’Grady, it brings inspiration and food for thought for everyone, from those who enjoy listening to the occasional poem, to people writing and publishing their own work.

There's a new episode on the last Sunday of every month, with repeats from the archive on the other Sundays of the month."

Hear the most recent new edition first broadcast on 30 December 2024 at : THE POETRY PLACE #60 291224 – West Wilts Radio

13) (From Rattle: Poetry)

Critique of the Week: A Live Video Workshop

"It’s hard to find honest feedback about your work, but knowing how your poems are actually landing is more useful than any other advice a poet can get ... so we’d like to extend that experience to anyone who is interested.

With Critique of the Week, we’ll workshop several poems publicly each week, via Facebook and YouTube. Participants will get a chance to hear how the Rattle editors would encounter a poem if it were a submission and offer suggestions for improvement. Everyone is then welcome to join in the discussion in the video’s comments section, providing their own thoughts and feedback. Even if you don’t want to share your own poems, it should be an excellent learning opportunity for everyone who watches.

To participate, just use the Critique of the Week category on Submittable. Every active submission there will automatically be entered into a live drawing at the end of each month for the next round of participants. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel so that you don’t miss any of the critiques."

For more information see: Critique of the Week | Rattle: Poetry

Or see the latest live streamed event at : Rattlecast

Or read the latest daily poem at: Rattle: Poetry

(I sign up to the email daily post and strongly recommend it.)

14) (From Eat The Storms website)

Eat the Storms – The Poetry Podcast – Episode 11 – Season 9 – Storm Shelter

Podcast available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, OverCast, Player FM, Radio Public, PocketCast, CastBox, iTunes, Podbean, Podcast Addicts, Amazon Podcasts, You Tube and many more platforms. This episode of Season 9 aired on Saturday 28th December 2024. It is produced and hosted by Damien B. Donnelly.

Visit: Eat the Storms – The Poetry Podcast – Episode 11 – Season 9 – Storm Shelter

15) (From BBC Radio 4 - The Verb)

TS Eliot Prize Readings - highlights of a year in poetry

Ian McMillan presents highlights from the TS Eliot Prize Readings - extraordinary poetry from 2024.

Presenter: Ian McMillan

Broadcast in 19 January, 2025.

See : The Verb - TS Eliot Prize Readings - highlights of a year in poetry - BBC Sounds

Though this has slipped quite far down my list for no particular reason, The Verb is one of my favourite shows on radio and is available in podcast form. Since moving to Radio 4, episodes disappear after a month, but there is an archive of 244 episodes available at: BBC Radio 4 - The Verb - Available now

16) (From Ó Bhéal website)

Enter the 2024/2025 (12th) competition, which will run for 42 weeks.

The 2024/2025 (12th) competition will run for 42 weeks.

Every Tuesday at 12pm (Irish time) from 9th April 2024 – 28th January 2025, five words will be posted on this competition page. Entrants will have one week to compose and submit one or more poems which include all five words given for that week.

Submissions carry a 5 euro entrance fee.

For more information see: Welcome to Ó Bhéal - Fáilte go dtí Ó Bhéal

17) (From Moving Poems website)

Watch the Best Poetry Videos on the Web

The latest when I looked: fuze by Sandra Louise Dyas and LeAnn Erickson – Moving Poems

"An experimental film that showcases the role of the viewer in creating videopoetry. As Iowa City-based visual artist Sandra Louise Dyas explains in the Vimeo description, ‘”fuze” is a collaborative video created for Homegrown Stories that relies on chance and serendipity. LeAnn Erickson (video) and I (sound) worked separately, only knowing the length of the piece and its title.’."

Regularly updated there's 2447 videos (and counting) to see at Videopoems | Moving Poems

18) (From T.S. Eliot website)

T.S. Eliot Prize

The T.S. Eliot Prize shortlist for 2024 has now been announced, and videos of all the nominees will follow. Every year of the prize I have enjoyed watching the poets read from their book, and say a little about themselves.

See: Videos – The T. S. Eliot Prize

See the whole amazing archive at T. S. Eliot Prize - YouTube

19) (From Apples and Snakes)

Vanessa Kisuule - The power of performance

'This week, Yomi speaks to Vanessa Kisuule where they talk on the transformative power of performance. This episode delves into evolution of craft, the balance between page and stage and the profound impact of community and collaboration, discussing the richness of voices that are reshaping the poetry landscape.'

Hear the podcast at: S3 EP16 | Vanessa Kisuule - The power of performance | Apples and Snakes: The Podcast

The archive of 32 podcasts is available at the same link.

20) (From London Review Bookshop website)

New Faber Poetry

"Wednesday 31 July 2024, 7 p.m. · 67 minutes

Published to coincide with the poet’s 85th birthday, Ash Keys (Jonathan Cape) presents a new selection of Longley’s finest works. Born in Belfast in 1939, his verse inhabits the landscapes of Ireland’s west, at the same time occupying a space within a distinctly European tradition, ranging freely across the continent’s histories, tragedies and triumphs. ’One of the most perfect poets alive,’ writes Sebastian Barry. ‘There is something in his work both ancient and modern. I read him as I might check the sky for stars.’

Michael Longley read from his work, and discussed it with fellow poet Declan Ryan, whose most recent collection Crisis Actor is published by Faber."

Hear this podcast at: Michael Longley & Declan Ryan: Ash Keys | London Review Bookshop

For lots of past videos and podcasts (not exclusively poetry) see: Podcasts & video | London Review Bookshop