Tell Me The Truth About Life: Poems That Matter and Why

Tell Me The Truth About Life: Poems That Matter and Why

The first official podcast from National Poetry Day and Michael O'Mara books to celebrate National Poetry Day's 25th anniversary. Introduced by Cerys Matthews, five much-loved names – Michael Morpurgo, Jade Anouka, Henry Normal, Nikita Gill and Kate Clanchy – read and discuss their favourite poems with Susannah Herbert, Executive Director of Forward Arts Foundation. 'A terrific new series' – The Financial Times

Episodes

August 28, 2019 37 mins
To celebrate National Poetry Day’s 25th anniversary, join author and storymaker Michael Morpurgo as he reads and discusses his favourite poems, and the lines of poetry that speak truth to him. Well-known to many for his novel War Horse, adapted into both a play and a film, Michael has written over 200 books and is a former Children’s Laureate.
 
Sharing and discussing poems including The Life That I Have ...
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To celebrate National Poetry Day’s 25th anniversary, join actor and poet Jade Anouka as she reads and discusses her favourite poems, and the lines of poetry that speak truth to her. 

Well-known for various screen and stage roles, Jade has starred in ITV dramas including Trauma and Clearing Up, and Phyllida Lloyd's all-female Shakespeare trilogy, starring as Mark Antony in Julius Caesar, Hotspur in Henry I...
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To celebrate National Poetry Day’s 25th anniversary, join writer, producer and comedian Henry Normal as he reads and discusses his favourite poems, and the lines of poetry that speak truth to him.
 
Comedy writer behind hit shows The Royle Family and the Mrs Merton Show, Henry founded the production company Baby Cow with Steve Coogan in 1999, going on to produce BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated hits incl...
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To celebrate National Poetry Day’s 25th anniversary, join Scottish poet, writer and teacher Kate Clanchy as she reads and discusses her favourite poems, and the lines of poetry that speak truth to her.
 
An award-winning poet, novelist and non-fiction writer, Kate was born in Glasgow and lived in London’s East End for several years before moving to Oxford where she is now writer-in-residence at Oxford Spi...
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To celebrate National Poetry Day’s 25th anniversary, join British-Indian writer, artist and poet Nikita Gill as she reads and discusses her favourite poems, and the lines of poetry that speak truth to her.

With a huge online following, Nikita uses Instagram to share her work where she has over 500k followers (@nikita_gill). An ambassador for National Poetry Day, her words have captivated hearts and ...
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In a special bonus episode for the 25th anniversary of National Poetry Day 2019, the new Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, a former probation officer, explores this year's all too timely theme: Truth.

In these days of empty words and exhausted rhetoric, does poetry open a path to reconciliation of conflicting truths? Can the language of poetry achieve what the language of politics and the judiciary fails to d...
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