Showing titles in Poetry

Hollie McNish has thrilled and entranced audiences the length and breadth of the UK with her compelling and powerful performances. Plum, her debut for Picador Poetry, is a wise, sometimes rude and piercingly candid account of her memories from childhood to attempted adulthood. This is a book about growing up, about flesh, fruit, friendships, work and play - and the urgent need to find a voice for the poems that will somehow do the whole glorious riot of it justice.

How did the greatest poets in history make the world anew? And what can we learn from the magic, wisdom and humour of their poetry? From the genius of the Ancient Greeks through to the love poetry and metaphysics of the Renaissance, through to the New York poets of the 20th century, this is the ultimate guide to the greatest writers of the human age.

Every Day Is a Fresh Beginning: Meaningful Poems for Life is a stunning collection of poetry chosen by Aoibhín Garrihy to uplift and inspire, delight and comfort. These powerful verses will guide you through the stresses of modern life, touching on themes such as friendship, love, home, parenting and grief. With lines of classic and contemporary wisdom taken from a wide range of poets including Emily Bronte, W. B. Yeats, Seamus Heaney, Anne Casey and Jan Brierton, this anthology will bring joy to every listener.

Thyestes is a tragic rendition of the fraternal civil war within House Atreides. This 1st century A.D. play was written by the Stoic philosopher Seneca and has been translated into readable prose for a 21st century audience.

This unique poetic translation by Herbert A. Kenny, historian and poet, is the first that incorporates the Biblical, theological and historical allusions of the greatest poem im Christendom into the text itself. It can now be appreciated without a glossary or accompanying notes. Listen as the liquid lines take you through the horrors of the "Inferno", the mysteries of "Purgatorio" and the glories of "Paradiso".

The tale of King Alfred, the Christian king who in 878AD battled a Viking invasion that had conquered the rest of England and burnt some cakes. He then became the last holdout of resistance against the invaders and forced the conversion of the Danish king Guthrum to Christianity after the battle of Ethandun.

Four more delightful tales from one of the most entertaining storytellers of all time. Though writing in the thirteenth century, Chaucer’s wit and observation comes down undiminished through the ages, especially in this accessible modern verse translation. The stories vary considerably from the uproarious Wife of Bath’s Tale, promoting the power of women to the sober account of patient Griselda in the Clerk’s Tale.

Literary Giant seeks young man to push bathchair. Own room in Hampstead, all found, exciting cultural milieu. Modest wage. Ideal 'gap year' opportunity. So orphan Struan Robertson, leaves his native town of Cuik, and arrives in London. His job is to care for Phillip, paralysed by a massive stroke. Struan finds himself tangled in a midsummer's dream of mistaken identity and overwhelming passions. For everyone, it is to be a life-changing summer.

This star-studded rendition of Ogden Nash's humorous verses backed by a full-orchestra performance of Saint-Saens' Carnival of the Animals will surely delight adults and children of all ages.

Three-time Christy Award winner Davis Bunn collaborates with Janette Oke to evoke the tumult of first-century Judea in the wake of Christ’s crucifixion. Although she prefers service in Pontius Pilate’s palace to a loveless marriage, Leah is betrothed to a Roman centurion. Before he can have Leah, however, he must go on a secret mission. But when a rabbi’s missing body sends Leah and Alban after the same answers, what they discover could change all they hold dear.

Flames That Light the Heart brings listeners into the company of author and teacher Mark Nepo for a rich conversation on the life of transformation and the heartwork that is required to be a spirit in the world. The intention: to help you live with meaning, truth, and kindness in your own personal way. Ten sessions explore how we are changed by what we go through - and how to access the skills and inner resources we need for learning, growing, and healing.

With Hutchins’s trademark sensory and evocative language throughout, Make Believe contains both viral spoken-word pieces and never-before-shared writing. Ultimately pointing listeners toward transformation, Hutchins invites you to imagine: What would happen if you allowed yourself to believe again—in dreams and miracles, but mostly in yourself?

Over the course of several years, Simon Armitage has written hundreds of poems for various projects, commissions, collaborations and events, which stand outside of his mainstream collections but now form a substantial body of work in their own right. They vary from single poems, such as 'Zodiac T Shirt', written to be performed at the launch of Beck's Song Reader, to the suite of 10 poems about Branwell Brontë written at the time of the writer's bicentenary.

A man seeks to prove himself as a hero. A monster seeks silence in his territory. A warrior seeks to avenge her murdered son. A dragon ends it all. The familiar elements of the epic poem are seen with a novelist’s eye toward gender, genre, and history - Beowulf has always been a tale of entitlement and encroachment, powerful men seeking to become more powerful, and one woman seeking justice for her child, but this version brings new context to an old story.

In this turbulent world, 'Stop the world I want to get off’ is a poetry collection to comfort and cheer you on as you navigate life’s challenges.

Composed during the 14th century in the English Midlands, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight describes the events that follow when a mysterious green-coloured knight rides into King Arthur's Camelot in deep mid-winter. The mighty knight presents a challenge to the court: he will allow himself to be struck by one blow, on the condition that he will be allowed to return the strike on the following New Year's Eve.

In the '70s he was a huge pop star, with number-one hits like 'Rock On' and 'Hold Me Close'. In the '80s and '90s, he became a star of the stage with lead roles in Godspell and Mutiny! Now comes a wonderful collection of David Essex’s poetry and lyrics. Here are nostalgic poems recalling his family's traveller roots, verses filled with memories of his warm and loving boyhood and poetry reliving the highs and lows of fame.

The poetry of Clive James achieved immediate notoriety on the publication of this volume's title poem: 'The Book of My Enemy Has Been Remaindered'. Hilarious and self-satirizing, it became one of the most anthologized poems of recent times. After its publication, James emerged unarguably as one of the most prominent poets of his generation – and The Book of My Enemy shows why. With its broad thematic scope and dazzling technical accomplishment, this collection is one to treasure.

Kaur constantly embraces growth, and in Home Body she walks listeners through a reflective and intimate journey visiting the past, the present and the potential of the self. Home Body is a collection of raw, honest conversations with oneself - reminding listeners to fill up on love, acceptance, community, family and embrace change. Themes of nature and nurture, light and dark, rest here.

Argonautika is the story of Jason and the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece. This epic story of gods and goddesses, mythical beasts, thrilling adventures, and narrow escapes may be the oldest surviving Greek myth, which Homer referred to as something "familiar to all." Listen to this masterpiece of classical literature in an all-new translation that captures the timeless magic and quiet humor of this ancient legend.