Podcasts by The Verb

Joyce Carol Oates from 2023-12-01T22:00

Ian McMillan presents a special extended interview with Joyce Carol Oates, one of the most prolific and pre-eminent American writers of the 20th century. Now 85, Oates is the author of 62 novel...

Colm Tóibín from 2023-11-17T22:00

Ian McMillan presents a special extended interview with acclaimed Irish novelist, essayist, playwright, and poet Colm Tóibín, who's been described as one of Ireland's finest writers.

Colm ...

Shakespeare and the future from 2023-11-10T22:00

Ian McMillan celebrates what Shakespeare can tell future generations - about animals, sound, performance and language. With actor Paterson Joseph, grime poet and writer Debris Stevenson, Verb r...

New International Poetry from the Contains Strong Language Festival 2023 from 2023-11-03T22:00

Ian McMillan presents some of the most exciting international poetry and poets - recorded in Leeds at the Contains Strong Language festival 2023. He's joined by Andre Bagoo from Trinidad, Ramya ...

20/10/2023 from 2023-10-20T21:00

Ian McMillan discusses the act of looking, what it means to write about art and to translate what you see into language, and the relationship between art and life; with American poet Terrance Ha...

Zadie Smith from 2023-10-13T21:00

Ian McMillan presents a special extended interview with Zadie Smith. Her audacious first book 'White Teeth', written when she was just 24, was one of the most talked about debut novels of all ti...

The Verb at Contains Strong Language Festival from 2023-10-06T21:00

Ian McMillan presents The Verb recorded in front of a live audience at the Contains Strong Language Festival in Leeds with Ian Duhig, Jacob Polley, South African writer and performance poet, Leb...

Poetry from Contains Strong Language from 2023-09-29T21:00

Ian McMillan hosts a special performance edition of The Verb recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC’s Contains Strong Language Festival in Leeds. Featuring poetry from Hannah Silva, Kh...

Live from Contains Strong Language 2023 from 2023-09-22T21:00

Live from the ‘Contains Strong Language’ Festival in Leeds, Ian McMillan introduces public poets from around the world, including Simon Armitage, Hanan Issa (the National Poet of Wales), Chris T...

Irish Writing from 2023-09-15T21:00

Novels by Irish writers make up a third of this year's Booker longlist for the first time in the prize's history. Ian McMillan explores the boom in Irish writing and the wave of new and experim...

The Verb at the Trades Club from 2023-07-14T21:00

Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's The Verb from the Trades Club in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. He's joined by poet Clare Shaw whose poetry extols the poetic possibilities of peat bogs and moss...

Confidence: Masterclass from 2023-07-07T21:00

A writing and confidence masterclass - Ian McMillan's guests Denise Mina, Kathryn Williams, Ian Humphreys and Len Pennie share their tips and experiences.

How much confidence do you need t...

New Ways of Writing from 2023-06-30T21:00

Ian McMillan explores different ways into and out of and through the things we write, and discovers new ways of thinking about language and meaning; with poet Nick Thurston who has co curated Th...

Fathers and Time from 2023-06-23T21:00

Ian McMillan explores fathers, fathering and time with Nick Laird, Katherine Rundell and Jude Rogers.

Nick Laird's new poetry collection 'Up Late' (Faber) is a powerful account of what it ...

The Verb at Hay Festival: How to write a Novel from 2023-06-16T21:00

From blank page to bestseller, how do you write a successful novel? The Verb offers you another chance to join a masterclass in storytelling recorded earlier this year at Hay Festival, with ren...

The Verb at Hay Festival from 2023-06-09T21:00

Ian McMillan discusses the enduring appeal of the novel and explores how poetry and prose can collide to create a new kind of language; with Jacqueline Crooks, whose debut novel 'Fire Rush' is a...

Futures Verb from 2023-06-02T21:00

Ian McMillan presents the first in a series of Verb visits to the future, asking whether we need new words, new plots and new genres to help us think about it creatively.

The BBC has signe...

The Wicker Man Verb from 2023-05-26T21:00

Ritual, seduction, silliness and sacrifice - all this and more in 'The Wicker Man Verb' - marking 50 years of the iconic horror film.

Ian McMillan is joined by one of our best fiction writ...

Monsters and the Monstrous from 2023-05-19T21:00

Ian McMillan explores the monsters that haunt our imagination, the monstrous labels that have historically been imposed upon 'the Other', and the modern day monstrosities that provoke our fears ...

The Wine Verb from 2023-05-12T21:00

Wine flows through this Verb - through poems, toasts, rituals - as Ian McMillan explores the images and words that evoke what it means to drink and to be drunk, in all its complexity.

Poe...

The Sound Design Verb from 2023-05-05T21:00

Ian McMillan celebrates spectral spaces, the pulse of the body, and the power of repetition, in a Verb which showcases emerging talent - new sound designers from the Sound First scheme (a collab...

The Interview Verb from 2023-04-28T21:00

This Verb could change the way you think about dreams, it might change your perception of your own doctor, or your perception of those who become extremists. That's because the writers who join ...

Funny Women from 2023-04-21T21:00

Ian McMillan explores funny fiction by women with Helen Lederer, the writer and comedian (and now creator of the 'Comedy Women In Print: Book Prize'), author of Big Girl, Small Town and The Fact...

Wild Water from 2023-04-14T21:00

For our watery and wild Verb - which flows though the water of chalk streams, the ocean, a baby's bath water, and birth waters - Ian McMillan is joined by Ruth Padel, Vik Sharma, Caroline Bergva...

Something New from 2023-04-07T21:00

Ian McMillan is joined by poets Michael Symmons Roberts, Kate Fox, Jacob Polley and sound designer Amanda Priestley to celebrate the rich variety of new poetry commissions written for the BBC's ...

The Sounds between the Words from 2023-03-24T22:00

This week Testament - poet, theatre-maker and world-record-breaking human beatboxer, explores the meaning and power of the sounds we make between words, including sighing and laughing - with spo...

Spring Poetry: ambivalence and beauty from 2023-03-17T22:00

As a new season arrives, Ian McMillan and guests consider ambivalence and beauty in writing about spring.

This week Ian peers into the yellow heart of the daffodil to find out what makes ...

The Secret Lives of Women from 2023-03-10T22:00

What's stopping us telling the stories of women's inner lives, or listening to them, especially once they become mothers, or are over forty? Actresses discover there are far fewer roles once the...

The Intimacy of Names from 2023-03-03T22:00

Secret names, original names, nicknames, invented names for characters - this Verb explores the intimacy of naming, the sound of names, and the way they can influence character.

Ian is joi...

The Radio Drama Verb from 2023-02-24T22:00

Ian McMillan celebrates 100 years of BBC Radio Drama with brand new commissions - from writers Alex Riddle, Georgia Affonso. Tim Barrow, and the poet Michael Symmons Roberts. This is a homage t...

Last Lines from 2023-02-17T22:00

Ian McMillan enjoys last lines in poetry, song, memoir, and novels - and his guests introduce him to different varieties of endings: the trap door, the rug-pull, the fade and many more. Stuart ...

Seductive Places from 2023-02-10T22:00

The Verb is lured this week into seductive places: poet Luke Wright presents a show full of light, cool water, shadows on stone, and the over-reliance on place-names (by lyricists). His guests a...

Writing Childhood from 2023-02-03T10:00

What do we remember about childhood? And how do we write about it, without feeling trapped in the past? Ian McMillan talks to poet Don Paterson about music as a mnemonic tool, his youthful att...

The City Verb from 2023-01-27T22:00

Ian McMillan and his guests explore writing and cityscapes - asking how does architecture make us think about the writing process, and how do language and cities refresh each other – or use eac...

The Verb TS Eliot Prize from 2023-01-23T16:27

On The Verb this week join Ian McMillan for a celebration of remarkable poets and poetry as he presents readings from all the collections shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize. The prize is award...

Breath from 2023-01-13T22:00

This week on the Verb we're taking in the air, and letting it out again as we explore how breath shapes and moulds the poetic line and stanza, how it can breathe life into a story and how breath...

The Verb with Hilary Mantel from 2023-01-06T22:00

This edition of The Verb is another chance to hear an extended interview with the prize winning novelist Hilary Mantel who died last year. The programme looks at her life in writing, from her st...

The Festive Verb from 2022-12-16T22:00

Join Ian McMillan for a festive recording of The Verb, in which we'll encounter a parade of imaginary creatures conjured through poems and songs and stories brought by his guests. The poet and ...

Ghost Writers from 2022-12-09T22:00

Ian McMillan explores the ghostly presences and phantoms of predecessors, literary or not, which hover in and around all writing. In poetry and stories how do we seek through the spectres of t...

Poetry Book Club with Douglas Dunn from 2022-12-02T22:00

The Verb this week is another chance to hear Ian McMillan's interview with the great Scottish poet Douglas Dunn, in front of our Poetry Book Club audience.

Douglas Dunn is the author of o...

First Drafts from 2022-11-25T22:00

This week we examine the sometimes painful process of drafting and redrafting. We're joined by Denise Mina, who appeared on the Verb in 2019 to share her feelings towards a book she had only jus...

Playwrighting from 2022-11-18T22:00

On The Verb this week we're raising the curtain on playwriting. Ian McMillan is joined by four playwrights; Winsome Pinnock whose recent work includes The Principles of Cartography and Rockets a...

BBC Centenary - Radio and Poetry from 2022-11-11T22:00

Celebrate 100 years of poetry on the BBC with Ian McMillan's cabaret of the word.

The Verb presents brand new poetry especially commissioned for the centenary, and explores the corporatio...

The Verb Narrators from 2022-11-04T22:00

How or what is the voice of the narrator, and what happens in a story when the narrator proves to be unreliable? Booker Prize winner Damon Glagut's novel The Promise toys with the idea of the na...

Verbatim Speech from 2022-10-28T21:00

This week The Verb is doing some straight talking and celebrating verbatim and everyday speech with the novelist Will Ashon whose book The Passengers is a collection of voices telling their own ...

Liberation Narratives from 2022-10-21T21:00

When we think of Liberation Narratives we perhaps most often mean slave or revolution narratives but they can be profoundly personal expressions of freedom as well as stories of huge geopolitica...

Benjamin Zephaniah from 2022-10-14T21:00

This week in tribute to the poet, performer, playwright and activist Benjamin Zephaniah who has died aged 65, Ian McMillan presents another chance to hear a special extended interview with him. ...

Harvest from 2022-10-07T21:00

The Verb this week is abundant with the language of Autumn and fruitfulness as Ian Mcmillan and his guests explore writing about the season and harvest festivals; past, present and future. Reb...

40 years of Apples and Snakes from 2022-09-30T21:00

This week on The Verb we're celebrating the birthday of Apples and Snakes, who've been pioneering spoken word poetry for 40 years. Ian McMillan is joined onstage at the BBC Contains Strong Lang...

Birmingham Contains Strong Language from 2022-09-23T21:00

Recorded at the BBC's Contains Strong Language Festival in Birmingham, Ian showcases verse that has arisen from two collaborative projects: Across Borders and Language Is a Queer Thing.

D...

From Contains Strong Language from 2022-09-16T21:00

The first Verb of a new season, recorded in front of an audience at the Contains Strong Language Festival of poetry and performance at the Hippodrome in Birmingham.

We have brand new work...

Games Day from 2022-07-15T21:00

It's the last Verb before we break up for the summer term, so we're having an end of term games day.

Games Writer Rhianna Pratchett has worked across many games in a 20 year career. Some ...

Michael Longley from 2022-07-08T21:00

Michael Longley is one of Northern Ireland's foremost contemporary poets. His debut collection, 'No Continuing City', was published to acclaim in 1969 and since then he has published many more c...

Old Age from 2022-07-01T21:00

Ian McMillan explores the language, poetry and perceptions of old age with Fleur Adcock who has been writing poetry for seven decades, comedian Pope Lonergan who has written a memoir of his ten ...

Man Talk from 2022-06-24T21:00

Ian McMillan explores the language and complexities of male friendship with poet Michael Pederson whose book Boy Friends is 'a paean to all the gorgeous male friendships that have transformed hi...

Music and Words from 2022-06-17T21:00

Adelle Stripe's Ten Thousand Apologies: Fat White Family and the Miracle of Failure charts the gripping chaos and self-sabotage of a classic " drug band with a rock problem". She shares somethin...

The Verb at Hay from 2022-06-10T21:00

In the second of two programmes recorded in front of an audience at this year's Hay Festival, Ian McMillan is joined by Jennifer Egan, Gurnaik Johal and Allie Esiri.

Jennifer Egan won the ...

15/04/2022 from 2022-04-15T21:00

Ian McMillan's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance

The Twentieth Anniversary Verb from 2022-04-08T21:00

In 2002 a new radio programme was born. It was almost called 'Saturday Speakeasy', but Radio 3 finally settled on 'The Verb'. This is our twentieth anniversary programme, so as you might expect it...

Taking Risks from 2022-04-01T21:00

The Verb, Ian McMillan's weekly foray into writing and language examines the appeal of risk and chance. Risk is inherent to writing every time you put words on paper; whether it's risk in the use o...

After Dark Festival: The Chance to Change from 2022-03-25T22:00

The Equinox is a time of change, and at a special recording for Radio 3's After Dark Festival, The Verb's master of metamorphosis Ian McMillan presents a plethora of poets from Sage Gateshead. Our ...

Mothers and Daughters from 2022-03-11T22:00

The special bond of the mother and daughter - and its complexities - are up for discussion this week. Radio 3's regular writing programme hears about the concept of being "parentified" from Warsa...

Adversaries. from 2022-03-04T22:00

On The Verb this week Ian McMillan is up for a fight. We're delving into the world of the adversary. He'll be talking to Man Booker Prize-winning author Marlon James about Moon Witch, Spider King...

Extremes from 2022-02-25T22:00

Ian McMillan goes to the extremes this week to explore writing from the edges of time and place with Shetland based poet Jen Hadfield, John Henry Falle aka The Story Beast, Penelope Shuttle who's l...

Writing Travel from 2022-02-18T22:00

The Verb, Ian McMillan's regular foray into the world of language and literature, explores how travel writing, poetry and translation can ferry the reader across language, culture and time with Col...

Couples from 2022-02-11T22:00

This week on The Verb, Ian McMillan and his guests are searching their hearts to explore writing about couples and relationships and the secrets its language might reveal. With Tessa Hadley on her ...

What Kind of Times Are These? from 2022-01-28T22:00

‘What Kind of Times Are These?’ is the title of a poem by the brilliant American poet Adrienne Rich whose work covered many turbulent years. What kind of times indeed? Ian McMillan is asking his ...

Once More from the Top from 2022-01-21T22:00

Poet Fiona Sampson, conductor Alice Farnham, and broadcaster Tom Service join Ian McMillan to explore the maths, metaphors and musical terms that make up the language of conducting. Plus comedy wri...

TS Eliot Prize Verb from 2022-01-14T22:00

Ian McMillan presents poets reading from all the collections shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize, awarded by the T.S. Eliot Foundation for the best collection of the past year, and gives his take o...

Mermaids and Other Mysterious Sea Creatures from 2022-01-07T22:00

Ian McMillan explores the language and imagery of sea myths and folklore from Mermaids and Selkies to Shapeshifters and other mysterious sea creatures, both real and imagined. Ian's guests includ...

The Christmas Dinner Verb from 2021-12-17T22:00

Ian McMillan's guests, John Hegley, Carol Ann Duffy, Kathryn Williams, and Jay Rayner join our virtual audience in a literary Christmas dinner - revelling in the poetry, prose and linguistic satisf...

The Space Verb from 2021-12-10T22:00

Ian McMillan explores space in language and writing. Space can be explicit or implied through the space between words, between lines, at the margins of a page, or with pauses and gaps and silence....

Repair from 2021-12-03T22:00

This week on The Verb we're thinking about the language of repair. Ian McMillan and guests discuss poetry's ability to heal, putting literary puzzles back together again, finding what was once los...

The Everyday Verb from 2021-11-26T22:00

Ian McMillan explores diaries and writing inspired by day-to-day life with Michael Rosen, whose book 'Many Different Kinds of Love' recounts his experiences in hospital with coronavirus and feature...

The Pretentious Verb from 2021-11-19T22:00

Ian McMillan explores and delights in pretentiousness - in language and in writers. What do we mean when we say a piece of writing or a performer is pretentious? Ian's guests include the poet Luke...

Bernardine Evaristo from 2021-11-12T22:00

Ian McMillan meets Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo to explore her poetry, her essays and her fiction - to find out about her writing process and how it has evolved, her sources of i...

Electricity from 2021-11-05T22:00

As energy prices rise, electric cars charge, and the COP summit in Glasgow burns the midnight, er, electricity, we turn up the voltage on the language generated by that invisible force and think ab...

Puddings from 2021-10-22T21:45

Ian McMillan on the language and poetry of puddings - with Lorraine Bowen, Joseph Coelho, Kate Fox, Frances Atkins and Fariha Shaikh. Singer, comedian and songwriter Lorraine Bowen is known to man...

George Mackay Brown and Orkney from 2021-10-15T21:45

The Verb celebrates Orkney and the work of George Mackay Brown in his centenary year. One of Scotland's greatest 20th century writers, George Mackay Brown was a poet, novelist, columnist and chroni...

At Contains Strong Language from 2021-10-08T21:00

For the last of our programmes recorded at the Belgrade Theatre for the Contains Strong Language Festival of poetry and performance, Ian McMillan is joined by Simon Armitage&LYR, Theresa Lola, Roma...

Green Places and Haunts - The Verb at Contains Strong Language from 2021-10-01T21:45

Ian McMillan is joined by an audience at the Belgrade Theatre as he explores Coventry's green places and the river that ghosts through the city with poets David Morley, John Bernard, Sujana Crawfor...

Live from Contains Strong Language from 2021-09-25T11:54

The Verb is Live at the Contains Strong Language festival of poetry and performance at the 2021 City of Culture, Coventry. Ian McMillan is in front of a studio audience at the Belgrade Theare and w...

New Rules for Writing - Manifesto Launch from 2021-09-17T21:45

We reveal our new 'Rules for Writing' - six ideas to inspire, excite, and to break! The musician and songwriter Damon Albarn - and award-winning poets Don Paterson and Elizabeth-Jane Burnett - ...

The Keepnet Verb - Experiments in Living from 2021-07-30T21:45

Ian McMillan is joined by Anita Sethi, Kate Fox, Ira Lightman, and Tom Chatfield to explore the language of time, listening and uncertainty and to celebrate the most compelling ideas that have bee...

How to Write a Manifesto - Experiments in Living from 2021-07-23T21:45

What makes a good manifesto? Are they better if they are sloganeering or questioning? Radio 1's Greg James and co-writer Chris Smith's new book is like a manifesto for the imagination, Malika Book...

Endangered and Indigenous Languages and the Natural World - Experiments in Living from 2021-07-09T21:45

Ian is joined by 'Gathering Moss' and 'Braiding Sweetgrass' author Robin Wall Kimmerer who is an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, poet Katrina Porteous who has written in the coast...

Experiments in Living - Not staying in your lane from 2021-07-02T21:45

As the Manchester International Festival opens we celebrate aritsts working across media and creating hybrid forms. Heather Phillipson is a poet and a visual artist whose work appears in the new ex...

The Politics Verb - Experiments in Living from 2021-06-25T21:00

Ian McMillan is joined by the Labour Party politician Ed Miliband, by ambassador for ‘Compassion in Politics’ Jackie Weaver ( Jackie recently shot to fame after a parish council meeting went viral...

Tree Thinking - Experiments in Living from 2021-06-11T21:00

Ian McMillan on the language we use to think and write about trees and the kind of thinking we do alongside them - with forester and environmentalist Peter Wohlleben whose books include 'The Hidde...

Time Scales - Experiments in Living from 2021-06-04T21:00

Ian McMillan on how language and poetry affect our perception of time. In this Verb he explores the language of slowness with Oxford University geographer Professor Danny Dorling, asks poet Racha...

The Hay Verb - Experiments in Living from 2021-05-28T21:00

Ian McMillan is joined by some of the most dynamic writers taking part in the Hay Festival: Michael Morpurgo, one of the nation’s best-loved children’s authors and author of ‘War Horse’, columnist...

Reverie - Experiments in Living from 2021-05-21T21:00

Ian McMillan explores the dream like experience of 'reverie' - with Terrance Hayes, Bea Roberts, Rachel Genn and Ira Lightman. What does reverie mean to writers in 2021? Is it simply a waste of ti...

Family Time - Experiments in Living from 2021-05-14T21:00

Ian McMillan explores the language of ancestry and the impact our families have on us across the generations and through the passing of time. With poets Hollie McNish whose grannies feature promine...

Collaborations - Experiments in Living from 2021-05-07T21:00

Ian McMillan explores the skill of collaboration - joined by guests Nicci Gerrard and Sean French, who write best-selling thrillers under the pseudonym Nicci French, and by Britain's finest, if onl...

Writing Technology - Experiments in Living from 2021-04-30T21:00

What kind of writing keeps us thinking about technology and social media platforms, and their place in our lives - especially when they're seamlessly woven into our days? Ian McMillan is joined by ...

Pausing and Punctuation - Experiments in Living from 2021-04-23T21:00

Ian McMillan celebrates pauses and punctuation with guests Kei Miller, Eley Williams, Kate Fox and Angela Leighton. They explore the different emotions, listening and reading experiences prompted b...

Determination in Writing - Experiments in Living from 2021-04-16T21:00

How determined do you have to be to become a writer? How do you return to the page every day when inspiration runs dry, or you receive a rejection? And how do you know when to step away in case you...

Planets - Experiments in Living from 2021-04-02T21:00

Ian McMillan and guests delight in the writing and naming of planets (Ian loves Neptune best), exploring how we as writers influence the perception of them, and how our perception may influence how...

Writing at Home - Experiments in Living from 2021-03-19T22:00

Ian McMillan on how 'writing at home' inspires, constrains and infuses language and storytelling - with guests Maggie O'Farrell, whose award-winning novel 'Hamnet' takes us inside Shakespeare's hom...

The Great Gatsby from 2021-03-12T22:00

This year, F Scott Fitzgerald's classic The Great Gatsby enters the public domain. What will this mean for one of America's best loved novels? Ian McMillan is joined by the academic and writerSara...

Gratitude - Experiments in Living from 2021-03-05T22:00

In a world of daily pleases and thank yous, obligatory thank-you notes, and polite appreciation how can we express authentic gratitude with sincerity? Has lockdown made us more grateful? Can the ex...

Language, Fashion and Textiles - Experiments in Living from 2021-02-26T23:00

This week, Ian and his guests examine writing about fashion and explore the language woven into fabric, with Kassia St Clair, Linda Grant, Amy Key and Lettie Precious.

Kassia St Clair is t...

Crime from 2021-02-19T22:45

Guilty pleasure. Airport novel. Holiday reading. The language used to describe crime fiction often suggests that there's something throwaway in the ability to craft a gripping story that keeps the...

The Walk from 2021-02-05T22:00

You can talk the talk but can you walk the walk? At The Verb, we do both, as Ian McMillan is joined by guests who consider the deep connection between writing and walking. From the strut to the swa...

T.S. Eliot Prize from 2021-01-29T22:00

Join Ian McMillan for a celebration of remarkable poets and poetry as he presents readings from all the collections shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize. The prize is awarded annually by the T.S. E...

Writing the Weather - Experiments in Living from 2021-01-22T22:00

Ian McMillan and guests including Jenny Offill, Alice Oswald and Wayne Binitie discuss weather writing. Alice OswaldThe Oxford Professor of Poetry, Alice Oswald is a great listener to the weather,...

The Verb on Deep Time from 2021-01-15T11:00

Ian McMillan on the writing of deep time - with poets Kathleen Jamie and Denise Riley.

Optimism in Stories for Children - Experiments in Living from 2021-01-08T22:00

How do you give hope to children when you're not feeling hopeful? What's the difference between optimism and hope? How do children's writers balance light and dark, joy and sadness? And what kind ...

Christmas Lights Verb - Experiments in Living from 2020-12-18T22:00

Ian McMillan and his guests explore the ‘language’ of light this Christmas. He’s joined by Baroness Floella Benjamin, who tells the story of leaving Trinidadian sunshine for the very different ligh...

Brazil - Experiments in Living from 2020-12-11T22:00

This week Ian McMillan dives into the word 'Brazil' and 'Brazilian', discovering irony, fusion and confusion, and the astonishing ability of one of its most famous novelists, Clarice Lispector, to ...

Margaret Atwood - Experiments in Living from 2020-12-04T22:00

Ian McMillan welcomes the Canadian poet and novelist Margaret Atwood, who joins The Verb from wild woods north of Toronto, to share poems from her new collection ‘Dearly’ and to explore the preoccu...

Zero-Growth Writing - Experiments in Living from 2020-11-27T22:00

What might a zero-growth world mean for writers? The Verb offers this provocation to this week's guests, and asks how poets in particular can adjust to a world economy that's changing rapidly under...

Jan Morris from 2020-11-20T17:20

In a special extended conversation with Ian McMillan, the travel writer Jan Morris looks back over a career in writing that has spanned seven decades and explains what it is that keeps her returnin...

Green Memoir - Experiments in Living from 2020-11-13T22:00

The Verb on 'green' memoir - with the actor and writer Gabriel Byrne, and the poets Elizabeth-Jane Burnett and Pascale Petit. What would our stories sound like if we told them through our relations...

The Changing Language of Veganism: Experiments in Living from 2020-11-06T22:00

Are you what you eat? The way we talk and think about food has changed a lot in recent years, particularly when it comes to the idea of eating ethically and the concept of veganism. Once a punchli...

Comedy writing in difficult times: Experiments in Living from 2020-10-30T22:00

This week Ian McMillan and guests are turning to humour to help us get through difficult times. If 'comedy equals tragedy plus time' - how much time do we need to make something funny? Or is it mor...

The Poetry of Walls: Inside Out at the Southbank Centre from 2020-10-23T21:00

Ian McMillan introduces new poetry that takes its cue from the limestone, fossils and concrete of the walls of London's Southbank Centre, in a celebration of all kinds of poetry walls, real and dig...

Oil Stories - Experiments in Living from 2020-10-16T21:00

Ian McMillan and guests look at the way poets have written about oil and the oil industry.

Claudia Rankine - Experiments in Living from 2020-10-09T21:00

The Verb explores the art of conversation with Claudia Rankine, one of America's most innovative poets. She has just published her sixth poetry book 'Just Us' a work that combines poetry, poetic pr...

Landscape&Language: Experiments in Living from 2020-10-02T21:00

This year the Contains Strong Language Festival of poetry and spoken word goes to Cumbria, as part of the programme of events marking the 250th anniversary of William Wordsworth's birth. This week...

Wordsworth: Experiments in Living at Contains Strong Language from 2020-09-25T20:38

The Verb celebrates 250 years since Wordsworth's birth. Ian McMillan is joined by poets Hussain Manawer, Luke Wright, Kim Moore, and Helen Mort - part of the Contains Strong Language Festival and ...

Nature Poetry: Experiments in Living from 2020-09-18T21:00

Do extraordinary times call for extraordinary kinds of writing and attention? Is it time to recalibrate, as William Wordsworth did in the middle of a revolutionary age, with his ‘Preface to the Lyr...

Salman Rushdie from 2020-07-17T21:00

Ian McMillan talks to Salman Rushdie about writing ‘cancel culture’ into his latest novel ‘Quichotte’, putting the realism into magic realism, the craft of an opening sentence, the appeal of Latin ...

Domestic Violence - in language, myths, and fairy stories from 2020-07-10T21:00

Ian McMillan is joined by former US Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner Natasha Trethewey, the poet Louise Fazackerley, linguist Deborah Cameron and singer Kathryn Williams to explore the langu...

The Ledbury Festival from 2020-07-03T21:00

This week we celebrate the spirit of the Ledbury Poetry Festival. With a distinctly international programme, Ledbury is one of the best-loved events in the UK literary calendar. The festival has b...

The Octopus Verb from 2020-06-19T21:00

An eight-tentacled look at the world of the cephalopod, and the way these intelligent sea creatures inspire writers and performers. Peter Godfrey Smith is the author of ‘Other Minds: The Octopus,...

Writers of the Caribbean diaspora from 2020-06-12T21:00

This week's Verb looks at writing from the Caribbean diaspora. The poet Roger Robinson won the T.S. Eliot award and the Ondaatje prize for his collection 'A Portable Paradise' (Peepal Tree). Roger...

Language Lockdown from 2020-06-05T21:00

A few months ago, writing an email to a colleague that starts 'I hope you are safe in these extraordinary times' would have been an unusual thing to do, but it very quickly became 'the new normal'...

Woods, Weeds and Wildflowers: Nature Poetry from 2020-05-29T21:00

Since her first collection, The Thing in the Gap-Stone Stile, won the Forward Prize for Best First Collection in 1996, Alice Oswald has been a major voice in UK poetry, with collections that freque...

Virtual Hay Festival from 2020-05-22T21:00

Our annual trip to the BBC Tent at the Hay Festival is one of the highlights of the Verb calendar. This week Ian McMillan is joined by just a few of the fantastic writers who are keeping the spirit...

Birdsong from 2020-05-15T21:00

How have humans interpreted and been inspired by birdsong? Ian is joined by musician and song collector Sam Lee, who discusses the magic that happens on his annual Singing with Nightingale walks, ...

Mirrors from 2020-04-24T21:00

This week The Verb is considering language, reflection and mirrors. There's a brand new commission from our palindromic poet regular Ira Lightman and joining us from San Francisco is Rebecca Solnit...

17/04/2020 from 2020-04-17T21:00

Ian McMillan is joined by guests Alan Titchmarsh and Patience Agbabi and there's the first in a brand new series of Verb Dramas. Presenter: Ian McMillanProducer: Cecile Wright

Social from 2020-04-10T21:00

This week, Ian McMillan is joined from a distance by his guests, who are all in their own homes. Together they discuss the changing language we are all using as we try to keep friendships alive whi...

African Writing from 2020-04-03T21:00

Ian McMillan explores African writing with Maaza Mengiste, Ekow Eshun, Jennifer Makumbi and Ellah Wakatama. Presenter: Ian McMillanProducer: Cecile Wright

Uncertainty from 2020-03-28T08:30

This week, the late-night language lock-in is feeling uncertain with Shaun Usher, Jo Neary and Jude Rogers.

Obsolete from 2020-03-21T18:39

When the world changes suddenly - how do we know what to abandon and what to keep? William Gibson, Don Paterson, Caro C, and Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún explore the writing of obsolescence with Ian McMillan. T...

Poetry and philosophy from 2020-03-06T22:00

Ian McMillan asks where poetry and philosophy meet - with guests Raymond Antrobus and Helen Mort.

The Language of Leaving from 2020-02-28T22:00

Ian McMillan explores the language of leaving, resettling and exile with songwriter Ana Silvera and poets John McAuliffe, Igor Klikovac, Mina Gorji, and André Naffis-Sahely.

Hotel from 2020-02-21T22:00

Welcome to Hotel Verb. Checking in with Ian McMillan this week are novelist Eimear McBride. Eimear won the Goldsmiths Prize and the Bailey's Women's Prize for Fiction for her debut novel 'A Girl is...

Native American Writing from 2020-02-07T22:00

Poets Layli Long Soldier who is Oglala Lakota, and Natalie Diaz who is Mojave, join Ian McMillan for a programme in which they explore the power of pleasure, the effect of recurring images - and t...

Goodness from 2020-01-31T22:00

How can writers make 'goodness' compelling, as a theme or character trait ? Why is virtue-signalling seen as a negative thing? Is poetry the best form for exploring goodness? And do we need more wr...

Puns and Wordplay from 2020-01-24T22:00

Puns have a long history in human writing. Most of us recognise them as those little gems of comedy genius that make you laugh, or groan, but they're useful for being more than just funny, they're...

The World of Poetry Publishing from 2020-01-10T22:00

A must for those who submit poetry and fiction to presses and magazines - the Verb takes a deep dive into the language of the poetry publishing world. It's a vibrant landscape, with publishers like...

Christmas Nonsense from 2019-12-20T22:00

The Christmas Verb rejoices in the pleasure of nonsense language, nonsense stories, ridiculous rhymes and things that makes no sense at all. Presenter Ian McMillan is joined by one of the greatest ...

Sports Writing from 2019-12-06T22:00

This week the cabaret of the word heads to the playing field to examine the language of sports writing. Playing for Ian McMillan's team are the T.S.Eliot nominated poet Zaffar Kunial who has just p...

To the Circus from 2019-11-29T22:00

This week The Verb goes to the Circus where it uncovers the darker side of the Victorian fair and the extraordinary language used to tell the stories of the living exhibits of the Freak Show with r...

German poetry after the Berlin Wall from 2019-11-15T22:00

Ian McMillan explores German poetry after the fall of the Berlin Wall – with two of Germany’s most celebrated and groundbreaking poets Durs Grünbein and Nora Gomringer. He is also joined by Profess...

Novels that Shaped Our Language from 2019-11-08T22:00

Part of the BBC's year-long celebration of books, The Verb looks at the way the language of novels inspires writers. Joining Ian McMillan to champion the books that have inspired them are Tim Minc...

Alone from 2019-11-01T22:00

This week The Verb examines the idea of 'Alone', whether it means revelling in solitude or drowning in loneliness. Joining Ian are debut novelist Okechukwu Nzelu, whose 'The Private Joys of Nnenna ...

The Verb from 2019-10-18T21:00

Ian McMillan with writing inspired by molluscs (snails, slugs, and cockles) - he's joined by the novelist Jill Dawson on Patricia Highsmith's pet snails, poets Isabel Galleymore and Kate Fox, and R...

The Moon Verb from 2019-07-19T21:00

This week, Ian McMillan and the guests shoot for the moon. Ian is joined by Ocean Vuong, winner of the 2017 TS Eliot prize for 'Night Sky with Exit Wounds', who has just published his first novel ...

The Sound of Translation from 2019-07-12T21:00

The 'feel' of another language and the impact of its sound is hard to convey in translation. Are there ways to be more faithful to the visceral experience of a prose piece or a poem? Or should we b...

The Common or Vulgar Verb from 2019-07-05T21:00

What kind of writing and behaviour gets called 'vulgar' and how does 'vulgar' relate to the word 'common'? The Verb explores the power of both words: their power to hurt and shame, the way they he...

Aldeburgh from 2019-06-08T17:58

This week The Verb is live at The Aldeburgh Festival in Snape Maltings. Joining Ian and a studio audience are Lavinia Greenlaw, Fiona Sampson and Mark Padmore. Presenter: Ian McMillanProducer: Fai...

The Hay Festival from 2019-05-31T21:00

This week The Verb comes from The Hay Festival, recorded in front of an audience at the BBC Tent. Ian's guests are the writer John Lanchester on his new dystopian novel 'The Wall' (Faber), poet Ha...

America from 2019-05-24T21:00

The Verb does a deep dive into the word 'America' - why does it have such a hold on the imagination? Ian's guests are Tracy K Smith, the US Poet Laureate, nominated for the TS Eliot prize for her c...

Along The River from 2019-05-17T21:00

This week The Verb is messing about on the river of language, part of BBC Radio 3's season of programmes on Rivers. Ian McMillan is joined by the Booker Prize-winning novelist Alan Hollinghurst, m...

Speaking of Violence from 2019-05-10T21:00

Ian's guests on the 'late-night language lock-in' are the novelist Mark Haddon on his new novel The Porpoise' and poet Rachael Allen, whose debut collection 'Kingdomland' has just been published by...

Insects and Language from 2019-05-03T21:00

Ian McMillan and guests explore writing about insects and insect-language – including the way insect aliens are depicted in science fiction. Will Burns and Hannah Peel celebrate moths in a new soun...

Writing the Gap from 2019-04-26T21:00

The Verb explores the pleasure and possibility of 'the gap', including line-breaks, spaces between words, and gaps in our understanding - with Linda Grant, Ira Lightman, Fiona Moore and Emma Smith...

Michael Ondaatje from 2019-03-22T22:00

In an extended interview, the Booker Prize winning poet and novelist Michael Ondaatje sits down with Ian McMillan to discuss the pleasure of naming characters, dark houses as settings, listeners in...

Myths Re-imagined from 2019-03-15T22:00

This week The Verb is looking at modern retelling and remixing of ancient stories. Jenny Lewis discusses her book 'Gilgamesh Retold' (Carcanet), Fiona Benson explains why Zeus is at the heart of he...

How to write out sexism from 2019-03-08T22:00

The Verb explores footnotes, ironic detective fiction, poem-spells, satire, sound loops and neologisms - and the way they can all be used to fight sexist language - in honour of International Women...

Between Two Countries from 2019-03-01T22:00

Ian McMillan explores what happens when writers have to shift their thoughts and feelings into a second language. Novelist Patrick McGuinness argues that he can 'feel more than he can say in French...

Nightclubs from 2019-02-15T22:00

Ian McMillan looks at language after dark and writing about nightlife with guests Dave Haslam, Geraldine Quigley, Rachael Young and Chris Green. Dave Haslam is a writer, broadcaster and Dj and ...

John Ruskin from 2019-02-08T22:00

Ian McMillan celebrates the bicentenary of writer, artist and critic John Ruskin, alongside US fiction writer Kristen Roupenian (author of 'Cat Person' - a story which went viral after being publis...

The Subjunctive Verb from 2019-02-01T22:00

Ian McMillan gets into the subjunctive mood with brand new writing from Toby Litt, a new poetry commission from Holly Pester, on the subjunctive in welsh with Menna Elfyn and Rob Drummond explains ...

Don Paterson from 2019-01-25T22:00

The Verb this week is an extended conversation with the poet, editor, mentor, teacher and aphorist Don Paterson. Don Paterson first came to prominence in the early 90s, winning the Forward Poetry P...

W.S. Graham from 2019-01-18T22:00

The Verb celebrates the centenary of the poet W.S. Graham - exploring his language and his relationship with Cornwall. Ian McMillan presents new poetry inspired by Graham from Rachael Boast and Pen...

TS Eliot Prize Readings from 2019-01-14T22:00

Join Ian McMillan as he comperes a special evening of some of the very best poetry published over the last year - at the annual T.S.Eliot Prize readings, recorded in front of an audience at the Roy...

Synesthesia from 2019-01-11T22:00

We're crossing senses on The Verb this week, examining Synesthesia, with musician LJ Rich, linguist Rob Drummond, and poetry from Ruth Padel, Abi Palmer and Hannah Silva. For musician, broadcaste...

The Christmas Verb from 2018-12-21T22:00

Merry Verb Christmas! We're at Vinyl Tap in Huddersfield for a festive evening of storytelling and song with brand new writing from poet, Simon Armitage, Joanne Harris and her Storytime Band and Ow...

Sleepless Nights from 2018-12-14T22:00

Ian McMillan and guests examine the language of sleeplessness. How does AL Kennedy's insomnia inform her prose? Amy Liptrot, author of The Outrun presents excerpts from her diary of motherhoood, t...

07/12/2018 from 2018-12-07T22:00

With Will Eaves, Ben Schott, Selina Nwulu and Jeremy Noel-Tod

What's in a name? from 2018-11-30T22:00

with Iain Sinclair, Kate Fox, Sam Illingworth and Marilyn Hacker

Unwritten Poems - Verb Podcast Extra from 2018-11-09T23:00

To mark 100 years since the end of the First World War, The Verb presents ‘Unwritten’, a special edition of the programme telling the neglected stories of those who fought in the British West India...

Unwritten from 2018-11-09T22:00

To mark 100 years since the end of the First World War, The Verb presents ‘Unwritten’, a special edition of the programme telling the neglected stories of those who fought in the British West India...

Writing The Midlands from 2018-11-02T22:00

The Verb explores 'The Midlands' - with the novelist Jonathan Coe - on using the Midlands 'to think with' in his new book 'Middle England' , the poet Liz Berry on Black Country language, the write...

Instagram Poetry from 2018-10-26T21:00

The Verb on Instagram Poetry, and the pleasures of writing on social media. Ian McMillan, and writer and cartoonist Moose Allain, explore the bittersweet language of the grapefruit, the 'oo' in fes...

Into The Forest from 2018-10-19T21:00

The Verb heads into the forest as part of Radio 3's season exploring the enchantment, escape and magical danger of forests. We explore the forest as metaphor with Terry Deary, Pascale Petit, with ...

Failure for Writers from 2018-10-12T21:00

The Verb on 'failure' with Kate Fox, Mohammed Hanif, Scanner and Bryony Kimmings

Young Poets from 2018-10-05T21:00

Recorded at the Contains Strong Language Festival of poetry and performance in Hull, this week The Verb is examining young poets and young writing and celebrating 20 years of the Foyle Young Poet A...

Contains Strong Language festival from 2018-09-29T07:57

The Verb at the 'Contains Strong Language' festival in Hull with Jackie Kay, Gruff Rhys, Louise Wallwein, Joe Hakim and work inspired by 'Palgrave's Golden Treasury'.

Latitude Festival from 2018-09-21T21:01

The Verb headed down to the Latitude Festival in Suffolk and popped up at their 'Speakeasy' spoken word stage. Joining Ian McMillan are: Luke WrightLatitude Festival veteran Luke Wright, who ran t...

The Verb at the Proms from 2018-09-14T21:01

Ian McMillan is joined by Michael Palin on the language of 19th century Naval officers (drunk and sober), ‘Rule Britannia’, and a remarkable ship called ‘Erebus’, He's also joined by beatboxer Jaso...

The NHS at 70 from 2018-07-06T21:00

The Verb celebrates the NHS at 70, exploring the language of the body, and the way bodies communicate when words fall short. So much care given in hospitals and GPs' surgeries is non-verbal, but h...

Northern Rocks from 2018-06-29T21:00

The Verb explores the language and literature inspired by northern rocks - with Benjamin Myers, Bella Hardy, M. John Harrison, Kate Davis and Simon Bainbridge.

The Verb at the Hay Festival. from 2018-06-01T21:00

Ian McMillan talks resilience in the BBC Tent with The Last Poets, Michael Morpurgo, Daniel Morden and Helen Mort Presenter: Ian McMillanProducer: Jessica Treen.

The Festival Verb from 2018-05-25T21:00

Ian McMillan peers into the pop-up tent that is 'festival' writing with Murray Lachlan Young - he introduces new fiction from Louise Welsh, new poetry from William Letford and Hollie McNish joins t...

Autism: poetry, language and writing from 2018-05-04T21:00

Examining autism, and the experience of being autistic through comedy, poetry, fiction and footnotes with guests Henry Normal, James McGrath, Kate Fox, and Alicia Kopf. Producer: Faith LawrencePre...

Night Meetings - Japan from 2018-04-27T21:00

Ian McMillan and guests explore Japanese night-time language, poetic encounters and musical collisions - and uncanny meetings that happen in the dark. The programme is part of Radio 3's 'Night Blos...

Algorithms from 2018-04-20T21:00

Can algorithms help writers think more clearly and create innovative work ? On this week's 'Algorithm Verb' Ian McMillan is joined by Helen Arney, who performs a brand new love-song (written for ...

Writing and Psychoanalysis from 2018-03-30T21:00

The writer and psychoanalyst Adam Phillips is the author of 'On Kindness', and 'On Kissing, Tickling and Being Bored' amongst other works of non-fiction. He is also a regular contributor to the Lon...

The Local Verb from 2018-03-02T22:00

This week on the verb we are turning our attention to Local language. Joining Ian McMillan are the linguist Rob Drummond who has been studying Manchester Voices and identifying new youth dialects, ...

Notes on The Verb from 2018-02-23T22:00

Taking notes with Ian are Toby Litt and Jude Rogers. Presenter: Ian McMillanProducer: Cecile Wright.

The Verb on Return from 2018-02-16T22:00

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' ...

Fighting Talk from 2018-02-02T22:00

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 ...

The Wellbeing Verb from 2018-01-26T22:00

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 phy...

Kerry Andrew, Danez Smith, Hollie McNish and Jenni Fagan from 2018-01-19T22:00

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 McMillanProducer: Cecile Wright.

Lord Fox, David Crystal and Jenny Colgan from 2018-01-12T22:00

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...

Chest of Drawers from 2018-01-05T22:00

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.

The Verb's 'Out of this World' Christmas Special from 2017-12-29T10:37

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 audie...

The Scrolling Verb from 2017-12-08T22:00

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 an...

How do you choose a mentor? from 2017-12-01T22:00

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 th...

The Verb Celebrates 35 Years of Spoken Word from 2017-11-24T22:00

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 McMi...

The Stoic Verb from 2017-11-10T22:00

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 Ch...

The Tense Verb from 2017-11-03T22:00

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, explain...

Tim Minchin from 2017-10-27T21:00

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...

The Society of the Spectacle from 2017-10-20T21:00

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 ...

The Memory Verb from 2017-10-13T21:00

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 Englis...

The Verb at the Contains Strong Language Festival of poetry and performance from 2017-10-06T21:00

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 ...

The Verb Live from Contains Strong Language from 2017-09-29T22:10

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...