PODCASTS/AUDIOBOOKS

Poetry Please

This lovely series hosted by the affable Roger McGough returns and it is always a joy to tune into, just the sort of soothing, yet thoughtprovoking listen that is the perfect antidote to some of the harsher realities of modern-day life. Each week McGough introduces selections of poetry on various themes, chosen by listeners, with help from a fellow poet. In the opening episode of the latest series, he is joined by acclaimed dub poet Benjamin Zephaniah who says comfortingly: “Where there is doom and gloom, I bring you poetry.” The pair share a wide-ranging set of poems including classics by John Clare, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Spike Milligan, a poem about tulips by Wendy Cope and one of Zephaniah’s own about his love of hedgehogs.

Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics BBC Sounds, review by Yvette Huddleston

Classicist, author and stand-up comedian Natalie Haynes returns with another season of her splendid series investigating key stories and figures from the ancient world and what relevance they have today. In the opening episode she considers the work of the first-century Roman poet Martial. His poetry was full of epigrams, jokes and what was then considered obscene material. As a result, it has taken nearly two thousand years for Martial’s work to be considered appropriate for study by classicists. Haynes contends his work is still funny and still shocking – she invites professor Llewelyn Morgan and comedian Robin Ince to explore what we can learn about the poet and his readers from his work and whether he can make a modern audience laugh.

Heirs of Enslavement Various platforms, review by Yvette Huddleston

In this thought-provoking six-part series, Clive Lewis MP and former BBC journalist Laura Trevelyan explore their personal histories which are linked by enslavement. Lewis’s ancestors were enslaved and Trevelyan is the descendant of one of the British Empire’s most prominent slave owners. Both want to confront the past, explore the impact of slavery and try to right some wrongs. They begin by travelling to Grenada to meet Lewis’ father and historian Nicole PhillipDowe who helped Trevelyan and her family to issue a formal apology to the country. When slavery was abolished in 1833, slave-owning families were handed huge payouts for their lost ‘property’. Lewis and Trevelyan confront the pain of Britain’s colonial past and together look for ways towards reconciliation and collective healing.

The Healing Power of Nature Audible, review by Yvette Huddleston

Hosted by environmental psychologist Alex Smalley, this new podcast series is made in collaboration with BBC Studios Natural History Unit and is accompanied by the soothing sounds of nature. In a series of immersive soundscapes, the listener can get lost in a simulation of the natural world. Smalley explains the science behind it all – how listening to nature can have positive effects on our mental health and even improve our relationships with friends and family. Smalley explores the uplifting effects of “natural quiet” and how we can harness this to improve our lives in many different ways. The episodes feature a variety of sounds including thunderstorms, birdsong, rainforests, woodlands, the sea, the beach and glaciers. It’s guaranteed to leave you feeling relaxed and refreshed.