Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the poet John Agard.His work is studied widely in British schools. He was the BBC's first poet in residence and along with WH Auden and Philip Larkin, he's a recipient of The Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry.Born in Guyana he arrived here in the mid-1970s already playing with words like some people play with musical notes. If his style is often satirical, his subjects provide wincing realism - examining the scars of slavery or the historical myopia of a shared past judged solely through European eyes.He says he believes that "the poet keeps us in touch with the vulnerable core of language that makes us what we are."Producer: Cathy Drysdale.
No persons identified in this episode.
This episode hasn't been transcribed yet
Help us prioritize this episode for transcription by upvoting it.
Popular episodes get transcribed faster
Other recent transcribed episodes
Transcribed and ready to explore now
Before the Crisis: How You and Your Relatives Can Prepare for Financial Caregiving
06 Dec 2025
Motley Fool Money
OpenAI's Code Red, Sacks vs New York Times, New Poverty Line?
06 Dec 2025
All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
OpenAI's Code Red, Sacks vs New York Times, New Poverty Line?
06 Dec 2025
All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
Anthropic Finds AI Answers with Interviewer
05 Dec 2025
The Daily AI Show
#2423 - John Cena
05 Dec 2025
The Joe Rogan Experience
Warehouse to wellness: Bob Mauch on modern pharmaceutical distribution
05 Dec 2025
McKinsey on Healthcare