1 October 2005
Saturday 1 October 2005 22:00-22:45 (Radio 3)
Ian McMillan presents the cabaret of new writing, poetry and performance. Including the first in a new series of performances from Rommi Smith, Radio 3's writer in residence for the Africa season.
Programme Details
This week on The Verb , Ian McMillan delves into the world of contemporary poetry by Russian women as the first ever anthology is published. He's joined by the editor, Valentina Polukhina , and by the poet Carol Rumens to explore how Russian women poets have responded to the enormous political and cultural changes of the past two decades. Ian and his guests examine the stylistic and formal innovation that is a hallmark of contemporary Russian poetry and they discuss the lasting influence of the best known Russian women poet, Anna Akhmatova .
Also on the programme, Radio 3's writer in residence for the Africa season Rommi Smith launches her new series of performances for The Verb based on My Africa, memories of Africa sent in by listeners to the BBC's message board.
Patrick French, author of the acclaimed book Tibet, Tibet, reflects on the iconic status of that staple of 60s counter-culture, The Tibetan Book of The Dead, ahead of the publication of a new translation.
Ian also investigates the hidden history of Nushu, a secret written script used for a thousand years by women in rural China to communicate with one another. Nushu was thought to have become extinct but now there are signs that it's sparking an unexpected heritage revival. American Chinese novelist Lisa See reveals Nushu's covert history and the rich literature that it spawned.
Plus, the exciting performance poet Ant the Rant rails against the literary establishment with his arresting piece, Obliterati.
That's all on The Verb with Ian McMillan and his guests at the slightly later time of ten o'clock , here on BBC Radio 3.
Producer: Aasiya Lodhi
Additional Information:
1) The Tibetan Book of the Dead is published on 27 October by Penguin
2) An Anthology of Contemporary Russian Women Poets is published by Carcanet
