Scottish Poetry Library Podcast

Alastair White and Sean Watson from Edinburgh based band White Heath chat music, metal, poetry and their Carry A Poem picks with our very own Ryan and we get a chance to hear their track "Election Day". And if that's not enough, we treat you to a sample of this week's Poetry Pub Quiz and offer a special prize - email splpodcast@gmail.com to enter. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Follow us on Twitter: @byleaveswelive, @carryapoem & @anonpoetry

Ryan sits down with Edinburgh's Makar (poet laureate), Ron Butlin, during a recent visit to a slightly noiser than usual Library (apologies for the melody of the office stapler) and discusses where his poems come from and what it's like to write for musicians - of the popular and operatic variety. We also get the chance to hear a few poems from Ron and listen to an excerpt from the short opera "The Voice Inside" by composer Lyell Cresswell for which Ron wrote the libretto. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @byleaveswelive, @anonpoetry and @carryapoem

Colin heads down to the launch of the 2010 One City One Edinburgh literature campaign, which this year is focusing on the poems we carry with us and includes a free collection of poems given out all across the city called "Carry A Poem". Including snippets from Ken Cockburn, Ron Butlin, Stuart Kelly, Sara Grady and charming couple Mark and Elena Fraser. Ryan also asks Colin what his Carry A Poem choices would be. Find out more at http://www.carryapoem.com and follow them on Twitter @carryapoem Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean.

In the final part of our Highland trilogy, Ryan chats with John Glenday about what it's like to be a drug counsellor and a poet, which poem he carries with him and we get an opportunity to hear John read from new collection, "Grain", from Picador. We also have the track "Nothing to Hold Onto" by Kim Edgar, which was a response to a work by John during the 7 Short Sails project- more info on that may found at http://tinyurl.com/johnglenday and Kim's website is http://kimedgar.com Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com

In the second of our Scottish Highland trilogy of podcasts, Ryan is up in Portree chatting to Gaelic poet Maoilios Caimbeul (Myles Campbell) and English poet Mark O. Goodwin about their new book, "The Two Sides of the Pass", a conversation in poems across two languages and the landscape of the Isle of Skye. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean.

In our first podcast of the year Ryan presents the first of his interviews from a recent trip to the Scottish Highlands, and he starts the ball rolling with poet, novelist and playwright Hamish MacDonald, director of the beautiful creative writing centre Moniack Mhor. We also have a haunting track from Shelia K Cameron, "Last NIght I Dreamed About Doris Lessing". Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean.

In this Festivus podcast we feature a specially commissioned interpretation of the classic Christmas poem "A Visit from St Nicholas" aka "Twas the Night Before Christmas" from the amazing Toby Mottershead and some of Black Diamond Express. And as home is something many of us return to at this time of year, we've also a discussion on poetry and homecoming between New Zealand born Robyn Marsack, Director of the Scottish Poetry Library, and Connecticut bred Ryan van Winkle, Reader in Residence at the SPL and Edinburgh City Libraries. They talk about their respective journeys to Scotland from their native lands and explore the influence of the poems they have brought with them from their homes and a few they have picked up along the way.

We ask the fine people of the Scottish Poetry Library which poetry books they'd recommend for seasonal gifts, and Ryan catches up with multi-talented writer Kapka Kassabova for an scintillating interview. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean.

Ryan chats with Francis Bickmore, senior editor at Canongate Books, and Toby Mottershead of Black Diamond Express about their favourite poem, Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner". Their discussion covers Nick Cave, Iron Maiden, what we expect from literature and how poetry can fit neatly into a busy schedule, among other things. Also features the track "Jack" by Black Diamond Express. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. For feedback, mail splpodcast@gmail.com

In this bumper packed edition of the SPL Podcast, Ryan chats with actors Gilchrist Muir and Jamie Gordon about reciting poetry to all and sundry at the Poetry Garden in St Andrews Square. He also discusses poetry and hip-hop with multi-talented poet and performer Alasdair Maloney whose track "Thunder and Sun" with his band Sileni rounds off this week's episode. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. For feedback, mail splpodcast@gmail.com

Ryan catches up with American/Australian poet Emily Ballou just before her event at the SPL. They discuss what it's like to be a poet abroad, the influences on her work and her recent collection, "The Darwin Poems". We're also treated to "Bluegrass", a poem by Ryan, with musical accompaniment by Jed Milroy. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. For feedback, mail splpodcast@gmail.com

In this week's episode Ryan tells us about the Global Poetry System project he's been helping organise and how you can take part in it. He also catches up with poet Andrew Philip who discusses the poem that he carries with him, his views on poetry and reads us a poem from his recent collection "The Ambulance Box." Making his debut in front of the microphone, Colin speaks with another Salt Publishing poet, Julia Bird who discusses her live literature tour "You Are Here" that takes poetry into theatres in England. Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. For feedback, mail splpodcast@gmail.com

In this episode, we feature an interview with TS Eliot award winning poet, Jen Hadfield, as well as a track from Fair Isle/Shetland musician Lise Sinclair. Our Reader in Residence Ryan van Winkle also discusses the new SPL campaign, Carry A Poem, and invites you to submit your's to splpodcast@gmail.com Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Produced by Colin Fraser.

Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Featuring an interview with poet Kona MacPhee, who discusses her Poem of the Week project and reads a Halloween themed poem from her new collection "Perfect Blue", which is out in February from Bloodaxe. We've also got a scary treat from Kim Tebble, who performs his "The Raven, the Knight and the Queen of the Birds". If you'd like to send us your favourite scary poem and why you like it, mail splpodcast@gmail.com Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Produced by Colin Fraser.

Presented by Ryan van Winkle. Featuring an interview with Iraqi-born poet Sinaan Antoon and a track from Mammoth. Produced by Colin Fraser. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean.

Reader in Residence Ryan van Winkle discusses Blake's The Sick Rose with sculptor Michael Bowdidge, musing on the relationship of poetry to art and how this informs his practice, and touches upon what it means to be a donkey. Poet Robert Alan Jamieson reflects on his recent collection of poems and photographs, Nort Atlantik Drift, and shares an audio excerpt from his DVD of the same name. And Edinburgh band Saint Jude's Infirmary share their views on poetry, music and Scotland, as well as the track 'Tacoma Radar' from their recently released album This Has Been The Death Of Us. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Produced by Colin Fraser.

The third Scottish Poetry Library Podcast is full to bursting with the multitude of events which happen at the Scottish Poetry Library. Starting off with two interviews with young people in Edinburgh about the poems they love. The first is with the multitalented Ishbel McFarlane and her love of Burns and the second involves the up-and-coming poet Claire Askew discussing "Jabberwocky". We also include some snippets from our second noisy day and you'll have the chance to hear selected highlights from the event "Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect" featuring Robyn Marsack, Robert Crawford and Douglas Dunn. Presented by Ryan van Winkle and produced by Colin Fraser.

In a music and poetry themed podcast, Scottish Poetry Library Reader in Residence Ryan van Winkle discusses some memorable lines from poems which he loves; an interview with Edinburgh based poet and musician JL Williams; a track from Laertes Why Are You Crying; followed by Canadian spoken word artist Myra Davies and a track from the Berlin-based Moabit label - "Goodbye Belfast". Presented by Ryan van Winkle and produced by Colin Fraser.

The first podcast from the Scottish Poetry Library, with Reader in Residence Ryan Van Winkle. Ryan’s talking to songwriter Billy Liar about Stevenson, recommending books by Sam Meekings and Sharon Olds, and reading some Hart Crane. Find out more at The Reading Room - http://www.readingroom.spl.org.uk/