The Poetry Programme, presented by Olivia O’Leary, returns for a new ten-part series on Sunday 13th October at 7:30 pm on RTÉ Radio 1, and the series will round off with an hour-long Christmas Special.
In the first programme of the new series, Belfast poet Stephen Sexton reads from his highly-acclaimed debut collection, shortlisted for a 2019 Forward Prize. If All the World and Love Were Young (Penguin) began as an exploration of the Super Mario video games that Stephen played as a boy, and turned into a moving elegy for his mother. Also on the programme, Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe reads one of her poems from the anthology Writing Home: the ‘New Irish’ Poets (Dedalus Press).
In the second programme, on 20th October, Paula Meehan gives a mesmerising performance at an event hosted by Olivia O’Leary and recorded before an audience in Donegal. Later in the series, we will have more interviews from the Heart of Summer live events, including Martin Dyar, Bernard O’Donoghue, and Irish language poet Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh.
You can also look forward to hearing from Derry poet Colette Bryce, recently announced as the new editor of Poetry Ireland Review, soldier-poet Michael J Whelan, poet, novelist and short story writer Mary O’Donnell, and many more.
The Poetry Programme is available to listen back to after broadcast on the RTÉ radio player. The Poetry Programme is a Rockfinch production for RTÉ.
The Poetry Programme begins on Sunday 13th October at 7.30 PM on RTÉ Radio 1