Scottish Poetry Library Podcast

Author and comedian David O'Doherty, past winner of the Edinburgh Comedy Award, chinwags with Ryan about jazz, literature, comedy, the pressures of working in the creative industries, good stand-up, his favourite poetry and much else. Including comedy excerpts from David's new CD, "Let's David O'Doherty". Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com

Poet, playwright, bicyclist and novelist Kevin MacNeil chats to Ryan about why he's glad he started off life as a poet, the challenges of performance and why he describes himself as a "writer" rather than a "poet turned novelist". He also tells the amazing tale of his journey cycling along the Danube on possibly the first fixed gear bike trek in that part of the world. Including a track from Kevin's band and some readings from his excellent "Love and Zen in the Outer Hebrides". Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com

A few months ago we travelled to Glasgow to interview The Dark Horse magazine editor and poet Gerry Cambridge. In an interview that focuses more on Gerry's role as editor rather than as poet, Ryan and Gerry talk about how the magazine got started, whether it is possible to say what an editor is looking for in a magazine and muse the general state of literary magazine culture in the UK and the US. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com

This week our producer Colin Fraser comes from behind the microphone and takes the podcast reigns to introduce the SPL poet of month, Kei Miller, who appeared at last week's West Port Book Festival. We took a recording of his special event in Edinburgh Books where a captive audience was dazzled by Kei's breathtaking performance of his work. Kei is reading from his astounding new book "A Light Song of Light" which will be available to buy sometime later this month. Produced and presented by Colin Fraser. Special Guest Star: Ryan Van Winkle. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com

As Ryan is away in Italy at the moment, our very own Peggy Hughes takes over the podcast reins for this week. She selects her poetry picks from last year's West Port Book Festival - Jack Underwood, Robert Alan Jamieson and Mike Stocks - and previews this year's poetry line-up at the West Port, which features some top quality free events from 24th - 27th June. More info at http://www.westportbookfestival.org Presented by Peggy Hughes. Special Guest Star: Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com

Ryan chats with American poet and publisher Chase Twichell during her recent visit to the SPL. They discuss her ecological views, the intricacies of the poetry publishing world in the US and what it's like to release a collected works. We also get a chance to hear Chase read a few of her poems. Look out for a special telephoned-in easter egg from Paris with living legend Jim Haynes. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com

Ryan chats with Scots poet Rab Wilson. They discuss mining, Pablo Neruda, Scots poetry, Arabic translation and we get to hear a few poems from Rab himself. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com

In a slight change to our usual programme, we include a simulcast from WSPL Radio: Real Poetry Radio featuring their presenter Ryan "the Wolf" van Winkle interviewing Scottish folk music sensation Jed Milroy. Jed has recently become involved with creating memorable tracks from classic and modern poetry and we include three of his excellent poetry tracks - "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death", inspired by the Yeats' poem, "Love Never Dies" inspired by the poem by Portobello poet Don Huggins and "The Storm Cone" from the poem by Rudyard Kipling. Presented by Ryan "the Wolf" van Winkle. Produced by Colin "Copter" Fraser. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com

Ryan chats to poet, editor, publisher and beekeeper Sally Evans about her work with magazine Poetry Scotland, the exciting poetry festival in Callander which Sally organises and we get a chance to hear a few poems from Sally herself. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com

In a special podcast from the Ullapool Book Festival, we have the great pleasure to include a reading from celebrated Guatemalan Maya Indian poet Humberto Ak’abal together with his Scots translator James Robertson and English translator Rosemary Burnett. Their new book "Drum of Stone" is now out from Kettillonia. Website for this remarkable trilingual book is: http://www.drumofstone.co.uk/ Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com

In an eclectic episode, we talk to exciting new poet William Letford, recent winner of the Edwin Morgan Travel Bursary, about memorising your work and the art of roofing. We also catch up with SPL podcast favourite Jim Carruth, who tells us about his 1959 jazz project. And we speak to My Kappa Roots and discuss poetry and music, as well as get the chance to listen to his track "Fleeting Like Etain". Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com

Scotland's Poet Laureate, Edwin Morgan, turned 90 this week and we headed over to Glasgow's Mitchell Library to celebrate his birthday with friends in the poetry world, as well as launch his latest collection of poems "Dreams and Other Nightmares". We include a few poems from this collection and chat to Alasdair Gray, Gerry Cambridge, Hamish Whyte, James McGonigal, Valerie Thornton, Gerda Stevenson, Aonghas MacNeacail, Donnie O'Rourke, JL Williams, David Kinloch and Robyn Marsack. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com

Ryan visits the Southbank Centre in London for a meeting of the Global Poetry System. He chats with GPS co-ordinator and folk musician Chris Kreinczes, librarian Chris McCabe, writer Dzifa Benson, radio co-ordinator Claire McDermott and Southbank participation producer Lucy Macnab. We've got music from folk outfit Dear Winesburg and an excerpt of the amazing Bellowhead's folk opera version of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner featuring Lemn Sissay as the Mariner. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com

Poetry's answer to Clark Gable- Tim Turnbull- muses with our Ryan in Residence on performance poetry, comic books and the highlights of his previous career in music. As well as getting to hear some of Tim's poetry, we have a world exclusive in having the pleasure to include the 1993 track "Family" from Tim's former band The Dog Conspiracy. Thanks to Dave, Keith, Kelly, Kerry, Paul and Mick for permission to use this recording. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com

In our second podcast from the vibrant StAnza 2010 festival we talk to two outstanding poets- Dennis O'Driscoll and Penelope Shuttle - who tell us about their experience of StAnza and poetry festivals, how poetry has reacted to the increased popularity of readings, Cornish ice-cream and what it's like to publish a first collection. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Music by Ewen Maclean. Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com

Award winning Scottish poet Tom Pow discusses his richly evocative Dying Villages project as well as his various other projects, including the recent Dear Alice, and we get the opportunity to hear a few Scottish Chastushkas. Tom will be bringing the project to the Library from 22nd - 24th April during a unique residency, unpacking the suitcase of poems, stories, images and sounds he has gathered while exploring the dying villages of Europe, from Spain to Russia. He will also be presenting a range of artefacts from the Dying Villages Museum. For more info, http://www.dyingvillages.com

Ryan heads to Scotland's International Poetry Festival StAnza to lap up the atmosphere and managed to grab poets Jim Carruth, Karen Solie and Jay Bernard to share their thoughts and feelings on poetry in general and StAnza in particular. We also have the very great pleasure to include the wonderful Itinerant Librarian who has been travelling the world for the past four years with her portable poetry library.

Poets Guide to Britain presenter Owen Sheers visited the Scottish Poetry Library recently to talk about his critically acclaimed TV series and its accompanying book. In the first of our two acts we feature an excerpt from the event where Owen discusses landscape poetry, verse on film and the problems of the poetic persona. In act two, Ryan manages to extract some unusual facts from Owen's past. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Follow us on Twitter: @anonpoetry & @byleaveswelive. Mail us: splpodcast@gmail.com

Recent creative writing poetry graduates Aiko Harman and Dave Coates (who also moonlights as the SPL's occasional receptionist) talk with the ever effervescent Ryan about poetry, the challenges of getting into the poetry scene and what it means to be "a Poet". We're also very happy to include the track "Two Inches Tall" from Sheila K Cameron featuring the voice of Scottish acting legend Tom Conti. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Follow us on Twitter: @anonpoetry & @byleaveswelive. Mail us: splpodcast@gmail.com

Ryan chats with editor and author Stuart Kelly about the poet John Berryman and they muse the current state of modern poetry, its future, the purpose of the critic and chew the literary cud. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Follow us on Twitter: @anonpoetry & @byleaveswelive. Mail us: splpodcast@gmail.com