The Poetry Bath

In the second part of Siân's interview with Claire Taylor , Claire talks further about growing up on a farm at the edge of Sharpthorne in West Sussex. Claire and Siân reminisce about their childhood in Sharpthorne and West Hoathly, their inspiring primary school teachers, going to harvest festival in the village church and being hunted by monsters. The Poetry Bath's theme tune is compose...

In this second Sussex special episode Siân meets her oldest friend, the musician and artist Claire Taylor . Claire and Siân talk about Claire's early life on a farm near Sharpthorne in West Sussex and their shared childhood in Sharpthorne and its neighbouring village, West Hoathly. Claire tells Siân how life on the farm was both magical and lonely, and they discuss how the Sussex Weald shaped...

In this first episode of a special series chatting with friends who have deep roots in the Sussex Weald, Siân talks to Johnny Marsh about his childhood in Wadhurst and the charms of mud, pubs and churches. On 7th & 8th September, Johnny will be taking part in Mayfield Open Studios 2024: http://www.crowboroughopenstudios.co.uk/ This episode contains strong language. The Poetry Bath's theme...

In this second part of Siân's conversation with Johnny Marsh, Johnny tells Siân about his reluctance to call himself an artist, the muses in his life and his own role as a muse, and his love of Harveys beer. On 7th & 8th September, Johnny will be taking part in Mayfield Open Studios 2024: http://www.crowboroughopenstudios.co.uk/ This episode contains strong language. The Poetry Bath'...

The second part of Siân's interview with Orkney-based poet Lydia Harris , who joins Siân to read from her new collection Henrietta's Library of the Whole Wide World . In this episode Lydia talks to Siân about time, place, mystery and the importance of libraries. Lydia Harris is the author of four pamphlets and two full collections. She held a Scottish Book Trust New Writers' Award f...

Orkney-based poet Lydia Harris joins Siân to read from her new collection Henrietta's Library of the Whole Wide World , which was published this year by Blue Diode Press. Lydia tells Siân how the collection came about when, knowing that Orkney was home to the oldest public library in Scotland, she mistakenly came to believe that her own island of Westray hosted a 17th century library. Lydia i...

The second part of Siân's interview with London-based poet Martin Hayes . In this episode Martin tells Siân about his sense of frustration and despair at our neoliberal society and how writing critically about work has got him into trouble. Martin Hayes is known primarily for his writing on work, often focusing on the courier industry where he's spent more than thirty years of his life....

Siân meets London-based poet Martin Hayes . Martin is known predominantly for his writing on work, often focusing on the courier industry where he's spent more than thirty years of his life. He is the author of eight collections including Underneath (Smokestack, 2021), Ox (Knives Forks and Spoons Press, 2021) and The Things Our Hands Once Stood For (Culture Matters, 2018). In this episode Mar...

In the second part of Siân's interview with Rebecca Tamás , Rebecca reads further poems from her collection WITCH and Rebecca and Siân chat about storytelling and the connection between poetry and theatre, and discuss how writers tackle difficult subjects. Rebecca Tamás is the author of three pamphlets and co-editor of the anthology Spells: 21st Century Occult Poetry . Her collection WITCH wa...

Rebecca Tamás joins Siân to read from and talk about her collection WITCH . In this episode Rebecca and Siân talk about the occult as a source of creative freedom, French feminism, humour, anger and writing against logos. Rebecca Tamás is the author of three pamphlets and co-editor of the anthology Spells: 21st Century Occult Poetry . Her collection WITCH was published in 2019 by Penned in the Mar...

In this second part of Siân's interview with Jessica Mookherjee Jess reads further poems from her collection Notes from a Shipwreck and talks to Siân about the body, trauma and fertility. There are also plenty more waves and wrecks, and here and there a glitter god makes its presence felt. Jess is a poet of Bengali heritage. She grew up in Mumbles, South Wales, spent many years in London and...

Jessica Mookherjee returns to The Poetry Bath to read from and chat about her collection Notes from a Shipwreck . In this episode Jess and Siân talk about wreckage, Brexit, power and, as Jess puts it, 'the glory and catastrophe of the body.' Jess is a poet of Bengali heritage. She grew up in Mumbles, South Wales, spent many years in London and now lives in Kent. She is the author of four...

The second part of Siân's interview with writer, artist and translator Kamilla Jørgensen . In this episode Kamilla talks to Siân about skies, ears and the making and unmaking of books. The Poetry Bath's theme tune is composed and performed by Nigel Horn . The Poetry Bath has moved to Buzzsprout from Wildhart Radio . You can listen to all 51 earlier episodes on Wildhart's website and...

In this episode, Danish writer, artist and translator Kamilla Jørgensen joins Siân to read her writing and talk about the influence of asemic and visual poetry on her work. Kamilla tells Siân about her attempts to eliminate language, her love of erasure and the boundless power of full-stops.  Among other pieces, Kamilla reads (and plays) Bark , her study of a birch in her garden and the poem she c...

Storyteller and poet Patricia Robson joins Siân for the second part of The Poetry Bath's winter and Christmas poetry special. In this episode Patricia and Siân read two carols by anonymous authors, The Competition Between Holly and Ivy and St Joseph and God's Mother, along with Jill Munro 's contemporary poem The Star of Bethlehem . The Poetry Bath's theme tune is composed and...

GCSE student and winner of the East Sussex round of Poetry by Heart 2023 Lettie Browne joins Siân for the first part of a winter and Christmas poetry special. In this episode, Lettie and Siân read and chat about Thomas Hardy's The Darkling Thrush , Clement Clarke Moore's A Visit from St. Nicholas and Baubles by Lawrence Wilson. The Poetry Bath's theme tune is composed and performed...

The second part of Siân's interview with Clare Best , in which Clare reads poems on the subject of home, haunting and love. Clare and Siân discuss the importance of home to Clare's work and Clare talks about a haunted house where she lived for many years.  Clare has written eight poetry pamphlets and collections and her prose memoir The Missing List was a finalist in the Mslexia Memoir C...

In the first of a two-part interview, Siân meets Suffolk-based, Sussex-raised writer Clare Best. Clare has written eight poetry pamphlets and collections and her prose memoir The Missing List was a finalist in the Mslexia Memoir Competition 2014/15. Her latest collection Beyond the Gate is published by Worple Press . She has collaborated with visual artists, composers and musicians and her work of...

The second part of Siân 's interview with Sussex-based writer Joanna Nissel whose debut poetry pamphlet Guerrilla Brightenings was published by Against the Grain Press in 2022. Joanna reads from the pamphlet and talks to Siân about her love of the chalk paths and landscape of the Sussex Downs and how the Covid pandemic inspired in her the unexpected outburst of creativity that became Guerrill...

The first of a two-part interview in which Siân meets Sussex-based writer Joanna Nissel whose debut poetry pamphlet Guerrilla Brightenings was published by Against the Grain Press in 2022. Joanna reads from the pamphlet and talks to Siân about her love of the chalk paths and landscape of the Sussex Downs and how the Covid pandemic inspired in her the unexpected outburst of creativity that became G...