The Keats-Shelley Podcast

Ep. 7 Is John Keats’ ’immortal bird’ soon-to-be extrinct? A conversation with Simon Barnes (Part 2)

Part two of our conversation with Simon Barnes, the award-winning sportswriter, revered bird lover and Chair of 2020 and 2021's Keats-Shelley Prizes.

Ep. 6 Why are Nightingales and Skylarks SO Poetic? A conversation with Simon Barnes (Part 1)

Simon Barnes, the award-winning sportswriter, revered birder and Chair of 2020 and 2021's Keats-Shelley Prizes, tells us about his love of birds and birding and why songbirds were so important to the Romantic poets.

Ep. 5 Simon Barnes on John Keats and John Clare from The Meaning of Birds

Bestselling sports journalist and nature writer Simon Barnes ponders one of Romantic poetry’s big questions: what’s the big deal with poets and nightingales? Reading from his book The Meaning of Birds, Simon examines nightingales in the poetry of John Keats and John Clare – and asks another question: which poet doesn’t know his nightingale from his nightshirt?

Ep. 4 Simon Barnes on the joy of birdwatching

Simon Barnes describes the joy of birdwatching, reading in a post from his own blog.

Ep. 3 At the Grave of John Keats: Part 2 (recorded in Rome’s Cimitero Acattolico)

An older podcast, recorded in December 2014 beside the grave of John Keats. To commemorate the death of John Keats on 23 February 1821, @Keats_Shelley (James Kidd) shares some thoughts on Keats' epitaph: 'Here lies one whose name was writ in water.' Listeners of a sensitive disposition should beware: there is a reference to the TV show Cheers.

Ep. 2 At the Grave of John Keats: Part 1 (recorded in Rome’s Cimitero Acattolico)

An older podcast, recorded in 2014 beside the grave of John Keats. To commemorate the death of John Keats on 23 February 1821, @Keats_Shelley shared some thoughts on Keats, death, life, cats, and poetry from beside his grave in Rome's Cimitero Acattolico. Oh, and one ambulance and one crying child...

Ep. 1 Poetry Reading: John Keats’ To Autumn read by heart

Poetry Reading by Heart: John Keats' To Autumn
Seven years ago, Keats-Shelley Twitter (aka James Kidd) was challenged to learn and read John Keats' great ode To Autumn by heart. After days, and even weeks of work, of trying and failing, we eventually got from A to B, or from Seasons of mists and mellow fruitfulness to gathering swallows tweeting. Phew.