The Keats-Shelley Podcast

Ep. 31 Is this how John Keats would have sounded reading Bright Star?

Is this how John Keats would have sounded reading his great sonnet Bright Star?
Dr Ranjan Sen has a better idea than most. A scholar specialising in phonology and phonetics at the University of Sheffield, Ranjan researched how English was spoken in the early 19th century (not least

Ep. 30 Why should we read Shelley, Keats or the Romantics in 2023? Fiona Sampson Part 2

In the second part of our conversation with Fiona Sampson, who chaired 2022's Keats-Shelley and Young Romantics Prizes, we discuss the joys and the challenges of reading Shelley, Keats and the Romantics in general in 2023.

Ep. 29 Winner of 2022’s Keats-Shelley Poetry Prize: ‘December Moth outside a care-home window’

The winner of 2022's Keats-Shelley Poetry Prize is 'December Moth outside a care-home window' by Susan Holland. 
Fiona Sampson writes: ‘This poem is full of linguistic relish and brilliant imagery, with some really exceptional phrase-making including the last line’s ‘glowing impassable threshold.’ Intense, almost forensic observation creates a rich study of will and intention.’
Susan lives on Kintyre, where she wrote the poem. She kindly agreed to to read the poem down the phone, which I hope only adds to its poignancy and power. 
Read 2022's Keats-Shelley Prize shortlists
Read 2022's Young Romantics Prize shortlists
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Ep. 28 Fiona Sampson announces the Winners of 2022’s Keats-Shelley Prizes

Listen to an audio version of Fiona Sampson announcing the winners of 2022's Keats-Shelley and Young Romantics Prizes.

Ep. 27 Fiona Sampson reads and discusses Shelley’s Hymn to Intellectual Beauty (Part 1)

Our guest on this episode of the Keats-Shelley Podcast is the poet, biographer and critic Fiona Sampson - who is also Chair of 2022's Keats-Shelley and Young Romantics Prizes. 
Read 2022's Keats-Shelley Prize shortlists
Read 2022's Young Romantics Prize shortlists
Our conversation begins with Fiona reading her favourite Shelley poem, Hymn to Intellectual Beauty - which inspired the title of Fiona's new book, Starlight Wood. This forms the basis of our discussion, which roams freely to ponder issues including: the importance of reading aloud; what is 'Intellectual Beauty'; and what does it mean for an atheist like Shelley to write a hymn? Fiona Sampson the poet unravels the sound patterns of Shelley's verse and compares the 'Hymn' to its sister-poem, Mont Blanc. Fiona Sampson the biographer tells the story of the poem's composition and the infamous summer without a summer of 1816, which also inspired Mary Shelley to begin Frankenstein. 
Part 2 of the conversation will follow.
Read more about Fiona Sampson here.
Buy a copy of Starlight Wood here.

Ep 26 Percy Bysshe Shelley’s Hymn to Intellectual Beauty read by Fiona Sampson

To mark the bicentenary of Percy Bysshe Shelley's death on 8th July 1822, Fiona Sampson reads her favourite Shelley poem: Hymn to Intellectual Beauty. 
Read Hymn to Intellectual Beauty here.
Fiona is an acclaimed poet, biographer of Mary Shelley and, last but not least, Chair of 2022's Keats-Shelley Prize.
Read more about Fiona Sampson at the Keats-Shelley Prize page.
A phrase from Hymn to Intellectual Beauty inspired the title of Fiona's new book, Starlight Wood, which follows in the footsteps of several Romantic artists, writers and poets (including Shelley) across the 19th century countryside.
Find out more about Fiona Sampson's Starlight Wood.
We will post Fiona's discussion of the poem in the coming weeks.

Ep. 25. Erica Jong talks about her life, career and why she loves John Keats

At the end of 2020, the Keats-Shelley Podcast spoke to Erica Jong, the bestselling novelist, feminist icon and poet. In fact Erica was a poet before she was a novelist, publishing two poetry volumes making her name with 1973's Fear of Flying. While fiction has dominated her literay output, she has continued to release poetry throughout her 50 year career. 
Indeed, the inspiration for our own conversation was a poem she wrote in 1975: 'Dear Keats', which we found while researching John Keats' epitaph 'Here lies one whose name was writ in water' during 2021's Keats-Shelley Prizes (Erica's poem quotes the line for her own purposes). 
Part of the interview has already appeared: Erica offered some writing advice to our Young Romantics. 
We are sending the full audio version to Friends of the Keats-Shelley Memorial Association before releasing to the general podcast public later in 2022. 
You can learn more about Erica Jong at www.ericajong.com
The Keats-Shelley Podcast is hosted by James Kidd. The music is 'Androids Always Sleep' By Chris Zabriskie. Visit http://chriszabriskie.com/
For more about 2022's Keats-Shelley and Young Romantics Prizes visit:
Young Romantics Prize 2022
Keats-Shelley Prize 2022 
You can support the Keats-Shelley House by Becoming a Friend.
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Ep. 24. Shelley’s Adonais read by Mick Jagger (Sheats-Kelly remix)

2022's Keats-Shelley and Young Romantics Prizes are open. Our poetry theme this year is Elegy - to mark the bicentenary of Percy Bysshe Shelley's death in 1822, and also the composition of Adonais, his elegy for John Keats, the year before. 
To mark the launch of the Prizes, we remixed Mick Jagger's recitation of Adonais at Hyde Park in 1969 with our own lovely podcast theme music: ‘Androids Always Escape’ by Chris Zabriskie. Visit http://chriszabriskie.com/ Most of the effects are attained from looping or sampling. Jagger's own voice. We hope he - and more to the point Shelley - approves. 
Listen here or watch our trailer for the Prizes at either of the Prize pages on our website.
Young Romantics Prize 2022
Keats-Shelley Prize 2022 
You can support the Keats-Shelley House by Becoming a Friend.
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Learn more about the Keats-Shelley House and our KeatsShelley200 Bicentenary programme.
 

Ep. 23 Winner of 2021’s Keats-Shelley Poetry Prize: in the kelp forest by Katrina Naomi (read by Deryn Rees-Jones)

The winning poem of 2021's Keats-Shelley Poetry Prize is 'in the kelp forest' by Katrina Naomi, read here by our Poetry Judge Deryn Rees-Jones. 
Click here for more about Katrina and 2021's Keats-Shelley Prize.

Ep. 22 Winner of 2021’s Young Romantics Poetry Prize: ‘A Craftsman‘s Tale‘ by Eustacia Feng (read by Will Kemp)

The winning poem of 2021's Young Romantics Poetry Prize is 'A Craftsman's Tale' by Eustacia Feng, read here by our Poetry Judge Will Kemp. 
Click here for more about Eustacia and 2021's Young Romantics Prize.

Ep. 21 How do you solve a problem like Maria Cotterell? The story of John Keats, the Maria Crowther and his Final Voyage

On 15th July 1821, 19-year-old Maria Cotterell died in Naples of consumption. Her name may well have been forgotten if she hadn't sailed to Italy on the Maria Crowther, alongside 24-year-old John Keats. In this episode, we tell Maria's story - including new discoveries about her death, her brief encounter with Keats and her treatment by posterity.

Ep. 20 Mark Wallinger: Why I Love John Keats - Art, Epitaphs and Magna Carta

We talk to Turner Prize-winning artist Mark Wallinger about his life and career - and more specifically, his love of John Keats. The inspiration for our conversation was Mark’s monumental 2018 work Writ in Water, which commemorated the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta.