The Verb

War poetry

Saturday 18 November 2006 21:30-22:15 (Radio 3)

Ian McMillan presents a special edition of the language and literature programme focusing on war poetry. Poet Paul Farley examines the debt contemporary war poetry owes to Wilfred Owen and poets Richard Burns, Salah Niazi and Adriana Diaz-Enciso discuss their own writing, which deals with conflicts in the Balkans, Iraq and Central America.

Duration:

45 minutes

Playlist

This week on The Verb, Ian McMillan presents a special edition of the language and literature programme focusing on war poetry.

He's joined by the poet Paul Farley who examines the debt contemporary war poetry owes to Wilfred Owen, subject of a special week of programmes on Radio 3.

They also hear from the poets Richard Burns, Saadi Youssef and Adriana Diaz-Enciso who discuss their own writing, which deals with conflicts in the Balkans, Iraq and Central America.

Ian and his guests explore the responsibility of the poet to bear witness, as well as to commemorate and memorialise.

Plus, there's a chance to hear a series of war poems set to music, performed in the Verb studio by the singer James Gordon.

Tramp in Flames by Paul Farley is published by Picador.

The Blue Butterfly by Richard Burns is published by Salt Publishing, In A Time Of Drought is published by The Shoestring Press. http://www.richardburns.eu/site/

Without An Alphabet, Without A Face by Saadi Youssef is published by Graywolf Press.

For more information about work by Adriana Diaz-
Enciso go to her website: www.diazenciso.wordpress.com

The Verb

Episode and Playlist Information

• 13 January 2007
• 6 January 2007
• 16 Dec 06 Benjamin Markovits
• 9 Dec 06 Fiona Sampson
• 2 Dec 06 Lightman and Bruno
• 25 Nov 06 Chris Addison
• 18 Nov 06 War poetry
• 11 November 2006
• 4 Nov 06 Free Thinking fest.
• 28 Oct 06 Insomnia