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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 Lyrical Ballads’ ( his poetic manifesto with ‘emotion recollected in tranquillity' at its heart’)?

Join The Verb each week for ‘experiments in living’ and experiments in language, as we build a new writing manifesto with the help of all our guests.
 
The first experiment is in nature poetry, and this week Ian is joined by Simon Armitage, the Poet Laureate. Simon has founded the Laurel Prize, an annual award for the best collection of nature or environmental poetry published over the last five years. He’s joined by fellow Laurel Prize judge, Moniza Alvi, whose latest poetry collection is ‘Blackbird, Bye Bye’.

Shortlisted for the Laurel Prize are Colin Simms for his collection ‘Hen Harrier Poems’, Pascale Petit for ‘Mama Amazonica’ and Karen McCarthy Woolf for ‘Seasonal Disturbances’. We hear readings of their poems on the programme. Karen’s work is scored by Andrea Allegra.

And we also welcome poet, musician, editor and plant-whisperer Jade Cuttle, who, along with Simon Armitage, will be judging the Gingko Prize for Ecopoetry . The prize is for a single poem; for more information on how to enter please visit https://ginkgoprize.com/

Jade Cuttle: https://www.jadecuttle.com/
Moniza Alvi: https://www.moniza.co.uk/
Simon Armitage: https://www.simonarmitage.com/

Presenter: Ian McMillan
Producer: Faith Lawrence