Spoken word series you should be tuning in to
The Poet Laureate Has Gone To His Shed
POET Simon Armitage invites listeners into the wooden shed in the Pennine hills where he goes to write (at the moment, he’s working on haikus). He unfolds a garden chair for his guests, as they talk about writing, music and art among other things.
The podcast is now in its second series and forthcoming guests include radio DJ Jo Wiley and The Smiths’ Johnny Marr. He also chats to JK Rowling about why she sometimes writes lying on the bathroom floor.
Isy Suttie’s The Things We Do For Love
YOU might recognise Isy Suttie as the actor who played Dobby on Peep Show, but she is also a stand-up comedian. This is the second series, where friends from the world of stand-up comedy, acting and writing, tell amusing tales about falling in love. Guests include Alan Davies and Jessica Fostekew, while Sian Harries relates how her husband Rhod Gilbert proposed in a Paris bookshop but his puffa jacket threatened to ruin the occasion with its incessant rustling.
What The F*** Is Going On? With Mark Steel
COMEDIAN Steel tries to make sense of the week’s news with an expert guest, such as Mirror columnist Susie Boniface who explains why the late Margaret Thatcher is to blame for your slow broadband.
The topics are often political and Mark doesn’t hold back from airing his views. He intersperses the chat with sketches, such as when he pokes fun at Nigel Farage’s criticism of the RNLI. Each week, Mark’s son Elliot gives his views on the week’s hot topics as the show’s resident young person.
Sista Sister
AUTHOR and campaigner Candice Brathwaite and her guests – including writer Otegha Uwagba and YouTuber Chanel Ambrose – share lessons they’ve learnt about topics including family, social media and how to manage money.
In the first episode, journalist and podcaster Pandora Sykes talks about what friendship means to her and why she thinks it’s important for friends to give each other room to grow. She also explains why she’s learnt to let go of the “all or nothing” attitude she had towards friendships.