The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed is a British podcast and BBC Radio 4 programme in which the Poet Laureate Simon Armitage speaks to an invited guest, usually in his writing-shed of his Yorkshire home. The first series of twelve hour-long broadcasts began in March 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic, the second series of nine began in July 2021,[1][2][3][4][5] and the third series began in February 2023.[6] The programme broadcast on 27 May 2020 was recorded while Armitage was self-isolating during the COVID-19 pandemic, and was the last of the first series.[7]
The broadcasts were recorded in Armitage's writing shed in the garden of his home in West Yorkshire. The contents of the shed include "a harmonium, a pizza oven, a daybed, books on birdspotting, a decent spread of music cassettes, and an impressive collection of sherry",[8] and he has described it as "close to nature without camping on the lawn, it's half inside and half outside".[9] Armitage and his guest have a wide-ranging conversation, often touching on his ongoing translation of the medieval poem The Owl and the Nightingale, and the guest answers a series of quick-fire questions such as "night or day, north or south, Woman's Hour or In Our Time?" before being offered a glass of sherry.[10][11]
In series 3, broadcast in 2023, the podcast available on BBC Sounds was up to 60 mins long but only a shortened version of 30 mins was broadcast on Radio 4.
Episodes
Series | Episode number | First broadcast | Guest | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | 4 March 2020 | Guy Garvey, singer, music presenter, birdwatcher | [12][13] |
2 | 11 March 2020 | Kae Tempest, author | [14][15] | |
3 | 18 March 2020 | Testament, rapper and beatboxing champion[10] | [16] | |
4 | 25 March 2020 | Maxine Peake, actor | [17] | |
5 | 1 April 2020 | Antony Gormley, sculptor | [18] | |
6 | 8 April 2020 | Lily Cole, model and entrepreneur | [19] | |
7 | 15 April 2020 | Sam Lee, singer | [20] | |
8 | 22 April 2020 | Melanie Plimmer, judge | [21] | |
9 | 6 May 2020 | Jackie Kay, poet | [22] | |
10 | 13 May 2020 | Laura Ashe, historian | [23][11] | |
11 | 20 May 2020 | Chris Packham | [24][25] | |
12 | 27 May 2020 | No guest | Recorded in self-isolation[7] | |
2 | 13 | 3 July 2021 | Johnny Marr, guitarist and member of The Smiths | [26][27] |
14 | 10 July 2021 | Amanda Owen, shepherdess | [28][29] | |
15 | 17 July 2021 | Imtiaz Dharker, poet | [30] | |
16 | 24 July 2021 | J. K. Rowling, writer | [31] | |
17 | 31 July 2021 | Jo Whiley, radio and television presenter | [32] | |
18 | 7 August 2021 | Gillian Burke, television presenter | Recorded in Gyllyngdune Gardens in Falmouth.[33] | |
19 | 14 August 2021 | John Tiffany, theatre director | [34] | |
20 | 21 August 2021 | Sabrina Verjee, vet and ultrarunner | [35] | |
21 | 28 August 2021 | Prince Charles, Prince of Wales | Recorded in the Prince's "shed", a barn at Llwynywermod in Wales.[36][37][38] | |
3 | 22 | 5 February 2023 | Ian McKellen, actor | [6][39] |
23 | 12 February 2023 | Lucy Beaumont, comedian | [40] | |
24 | 19 February 2023 | Simon Dobson, composer and conductor | [41] | |
25 | 26 February 2023 | Pam Ayres, poet | [42] | |
26 | 5 March 2023 | Loyle Carner, musician | Recorded in Carner's studio in Hackney, London. [43] | |
27 | 12 March 2023 | Olive Senior, poet | ||
28 | 19 March 2023 | Glyn Maxwell, musician | [45] | |
29 | 26 March 2023 | Julie Hesmondhalgh | [46] |
References
- ↑ "Simon Armitage invites guests for sherry in The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed". Financial Times. 12 April 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed returns to Radio 4". RadioToday. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ Maier, John. "Contains moments of spellbinding banality: Radio 4's The Poet Laureate has Gone to his Shed reviewed". The Spectator. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "Guy Garvey - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed - ManchesterTheatres.com". Manchester Theatres. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed". Listen Notes. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- 1 2 "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Ian McKellen". BBC. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
- 1 2 "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Simon Armitage". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ Johnson, Alex (12 March 2020). "A tour of Simon Armitage's writing shed". Shedworking. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ Sherwin, Adam (4 March 2020). "Poet Laureate Simon Armitage launches BBC podcast from his garden shed". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- 1 2 "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Welcome to The Poet Laureate Has Gone To His Shed". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- 1 2 Wickham, Edward (5 June 2020). "Radio review: The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Analysis: Identity wars, and The Archers". www.churchtimes.co.uk. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "Guy Garvey - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed - ManchesterTheatres.com". Manchester Theatres. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "Guy Garvey: Nine things we learned when he spoke to Simon Armitage". BBC. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Kate Tempest". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "Kate Tempest: 10 things we learned when she spoke to Simon Armitage". BBC. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Testament". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Maxine Peake". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Antony Gormley". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Lily Cole". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Sam Lee". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Judge Melanie Plimmer". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Jackie Kay". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Laura Ashe". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Chris Packham". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "Chris Packham: Seven things we learned when he spoke to Simon Armitage". BBC.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Amanda Owen". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "Johnny Marr: 10 things we learned when he spoke to Simon Armitage". BBC. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Amanda Owen". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "Simon Armitage does Haiku". Julie Mellor - poet. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Imtiaz Dharker". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, JK Rowling". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Jo Whiley". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Gillian Burke". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, John Tiffany". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Sabrina Verjee". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, HRH Prince Charles". BBC. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "The Prince of Wales appears on 'The Poet Laureate Has Gone To His Shed'". www.princeofwales.gov.uk. Prince of Wales. 28 August 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ Sherwin, Adam (11 August 2021). "Prince Charles invites Poet Laureate Simon Armitage into his garden shed for Radio 4 chat". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ↑ "Sir Ian McKellen: 10 things we learned when he spoke to the Poet Laureate". BBC. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Lucy Beaumont". BBC. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Simon Dobson". BBC. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Pam Ayres". BBC. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Loyle Carner". BBC. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Olive Senior". BBC. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Glyn Maxwell". BBC. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Julie Hesmondhalgh". BBC. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
External links
- "The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed". BBC Radio 4.