Jennifer Williams

But we were talking a little bit, because she...

maybe in a not too dissimilar way has lots of poems that are both about her personal experience but also are able to comment on the political state of where she comes from not in an overt way but maybe via the personal and we were talking about that thing like can a poem

can a poem be a vehicle for change or should a poet even think about it in that way?

And that, you know, on the one hand she would say, well, she doesn't think, you know, she might feel a bit disappointed if she was writing all her poems thinking it would start some sort of revelation.

But at the same time that there is...

you know, if even one person learns something, or I think she, you know, maybe learns something even is too much to say, but is opened up to an experience that helps them understand the world in a different way, that that's really valuable.

That feels like something poems actually are really good at doing.

Brian, it's been such an honour and a pleasure to get to speak with you this afternoon.

Thank you so much for taking the time.

And it's been gorgeous to get to hear these poems in your voice and hear you talk a little bit about your experiences.

And I'm excited for the memoir and to read poems that come in future.

It would be great if you could leave us with a poem as well.

Hello, my name is Jennifer Williams and I'm the program manager at the Scottish Poetry Library.

I have a special treat for you today because rather than me conducting this podcast interview, I have a guest interviewer here with me.

who is my friend Jessica Johannesson Gaetan, my colleague at the library and a wonderful writer herself, also expert in translation, the art of translation, and has been helping me out here at the library by putting together one of our events in the autumn program.

And it's a very special event.

And I think actually I'm going to let her tell you all about it and tell you why we've got these marvelous people here with us today.

The international travel, the glamorous houses.

That's it.

I do like those things.