BBC Radio Ulster is marking National Poetry Day with a special week of programming celebrating poems and poets, from the greatest poets and their works, through to the budding enthusiasts who have a talent for prose.
From Kipling to Kavanagh through to Pam Ayres and even Bob Dylan, presenters will be waxing lyrical about their favourite poems and wordsmiths and asking listeners to impress them with their poetry skills with Rhythm And Rhyme on BBC Radio Ulster,which will run from Saturday, October 4 until Friday, October 10.
Highlights of the Rhythm and Rhyme on BBC Radio Ulster week include the new Poetic Presenters programmes, when at 4.55pm and 11.55pm from Monday through to Friday,a different presenter will read out their favourite poem.
John Toal will be BBC Radio Ulster's 'wandering bard' for the week and will be dropping into programmes such as Gerry Anderson, Alan Simpson, Country Afternoonwith Hugo Duncan and Talkback, to read out poems related to each of these programmes.
Country Afternoon with Hugo Duncan from Mondays to Fridays at 1.30pm, will be looking for 'rhyming prayers' from listeners and will be calling all those truck drivers, hairdressers,farmers and taxi drivers to contact the programme with a 'prayer' about their job. Also from Monday through to Friday at 3pm, Alan Simpson will be doing his bit for Rhythm and Rhyme on BBC Radio Ulster by looking at Crimes Against Rhymes, a special section in his programme looking at the best and worst song lyrics ever to hit the charts. And from Monday, October 6 until Friday, October 10 listeners can also be in with a chance of having their own poems read out by Hugo Duncan and Alan Simpson by logging on to bbc.co.uk/northernireland/learning/getwritingni and submitting their work. All the poems will be posted up on the website and some lucky listeners will have their poems read out on BBC Radio Ulster.
Other highlights will include: Nuala McKeever's Wicked, Witty and Wise programme on Sunday at 2pm, where the comedienne will share her favourite comic poetry and songs; Sounds Classical on Sunday at 8pm, which will premier the new Greg Caffrey piece 'Beál Mouth Beul Mooth'; Arts Extra, from Monday-Friday at 6.30pm will invite leading figures in Northern Ireland to discuss their favourite poem and what it means to them.
On Thursday at 8pm, Ralph McLean dedicates his programme to the ultimate rock poet Bob Dylan and on Friday at 8pm, Jim Meredith joins him to celebrate the great poets of country music. And on Friday at 10 pm in The Late Show With Stuart Bailie, Stuart will present a rock and roll poetry guide, plotting music's connection to Ginsberg, Burroughs, Kerouac and Yeats, among others, with music from The Clash, Patti Smith, The Verve, Shane MacGowan and Van Morrison.
National Poetry Day is on Thursday,October 9.Rhythm and Rhyme on BBC Radio Ulster, Saturday, October 4 - Friday, October 10.
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