Podcasts about zaffar kunial

Bryan Ferry discusses his latest album, Loose Talk and reflects on his long career in music. Disney's new live action version of Snow White has just opened and has attracted criticism from those who felt it departed too far from the original film. Film critics Larushka Ivan Zadeh and Al Horner explore why Disney's reinterpretation of its own canon has become so controversial. The Windham Campbell Prize gives away over a million pounds, shared between eight writers across fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. Previous British winners have included the poet Zaffar Kunial. Samira is joined by two of this year's winners, playwright, Matilda Ibini and poet, Anthony V Capildeo, to discuss the impact of the prize. Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves changed cinema forever when the world's first animated film hit screens in 1937. Now the House of Mouse has just released a big budget live action remake of the beloved original that is arriving under a cloud of controversy. Larushka Iven-Zadeh, the Times films critic, and Al Horner, a Telegraph writer and host of the Script Apart podcast, joins to discuss.Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Ruth Watts

Samira Ahmed presents Front Row's contribution to Radio 4's New Year's Day celebration of the Shipping Forecast, marking a century since the BBC began broadcasting it. This edition of the arts programme explores how the Shipping Forecast inspires musicians, writers, artists of all kinds, and how it has become a powerful presence in the psyche of the nation, even among people with no connection to the sea. There is an irony here: the forecast is factual, devoid of metaphor, yet it moves millions emotionally. Recorded in front of an audience at Britain's most famous ship, the Cutty Sark, Samira's guests are novelist Meg Clothier, author of The Shipping Forecast: Celebrating 100 Years; musicians Lisa Knapp and Gerry Diver; poets Sean Street and Zaffar Kunial; and Paddy Rodgers, Director of Royal Museums, Greenwich. They discuss the inspirational quality of the Shipping Forecast - the litany of names of sea areas, its rhythms, the factual yet evocative vocabulary of atmospheric and sea states, and how this vital information, demanding attention, has become a national lullaby. Sean Street, Britain's first Professor of Radio and author of several books about sound, considers the Shipping Forecast as a sound work, and reads his poem, Shipping Forecast, Donegal. Lisa Knapp performs, accompanied by Gerry Diver, her song 'Shipping Song' and 'Three Score and Ten', written by William Delf, a Grimsby fisherman, after a disastrous storm in 1889. There are two world premieres, commissioned by Front Row, an audio piece by the sound designer, Ross Burns, and a poem by Zaffar Kunial. And some quirky Shipping Forecast moments such as Alan Bennett reading it and Charlotte Green assaying the Forecast - in Arabic.Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Julian May

Hva har Emily Dickinson, Olav H. Hauge og Zaffar Kunial til felles? De har alle skrevet fabelaktige dikt om revebjeller! I denne episoden ser vi nærmere på disse tre poetene og knytter tråder mellom diktene deres – og dessuten til enkelte andre forfattere, særlig Shakespeare og John Keats, men også et par norske. Kunials dikt «Foxglove Country» er fra 2022, og står for oss som noe så sjeldent som en umiddelbar klassiker. Episoden begynner imidlertid med en diskusjon av Robert Frosts berømte dikt «Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening» (1923). Det lovet vi nemlig i forrige episode, da vi ikke fikk tid til å presentere det som et juledikt. Finnes det forbindelseslinjer mellom Frosts snødekte vinterdikt og de blomsterbestrødde diktene til de tre andre poetene? Og er det egentlig sant at snø og søvn alltid betyr død, mens blomster alltid betyr dikt i lyrikken? Svarene får du i denne episoden av lyrisk kvarter. Musikk: Milde Måne?! – Soundcloud @mildemane Illustrasjon (original): https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:(Edvard_Grieg_and_Frants_Beyer_hiking)_(3446747911).jpg

For our last show of the year, Michael heads to Fitzroy Pool to find out what people are reading as the weather warms up. Plus, some of our previous guests offer book recommendations for the summer holidays.Reading list:The Vanishing Half, Brit Bennett, 2020Down and Out In Paris and London, George Orwell, 1933My Body, Emily Ratajkowski, 2021Ghosts, Dolly Alderton, 2020The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rick Rubin, 2023The Road, Cormac McCarthy, 2006Working Class Boy, Jimmy Barnes, 2018Never Never, Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher, 2023The Spy's Wife, Fiona McIntosh, 2021Lioness, Emily Perkins, 2023And Then She Fell, Alicia Elliott, 2023The Palestine Laboratory, Anthony Loewenstein, 2023England's Green, Zaffar Kunial, 2022The Sullivanians, Alexander Stille, 2023Everyone and Everything, Nadine J. Cohen, 2023Why We Are Here, Briohny Doyle, 2023The Thursday Murder Club, Richard Osman, 2020Middlemarch, George Eliot, 1871You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. Or if you want to listen to them as audiobooks, you can head to the Read This reading room on Apple Books.Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and TwitterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For our last show of the year, Michael heads to Fitzroy Pool to find out what people are reading as the weather warms up. Plus, some of our previous guests offer book recommendations for the summer holidays. Reading list: The Vanishing Half, Brit Bennett, 2020 Down and Out In Paris and London, George Orwell, 1933 My Body, Emily Ratajkowski, 2021 Ghosts, Dolly Alderton, 2020 The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rick Rubin, 2023 The Road, Cormac McCarthy, 2006 Working Class Boy, Jimmy Barnes, 2018 Never Never, Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher, 2023 The Spy's Wife, Fiona McIntosh, 2021 Lioness, Emily Perkins, 2023 And Then She Fell, Alicia Elliott, 2023 The Palestine Laboratory, Anthony Loewenstein, 2023 England's Green, Zaffar Kunial, 2022 The Sullivanians, Alexander Stille, 2023 Everyone and Everything, Nadine J. Cohen, 2023 Why We Are Here, Briohny Doyle, 2023 The Thursday Murder Club, Richard Osman, 2020 Middlemarch, George Eliot, 1871 You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. Or if you want to listen to them as audiobooks, you can head to the Read This reading room on Apple Books. Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and Twitter

Today's poem is Us by Zaffar Kunial. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “Since moving to the quaint village of Rochester, I come to expect visible signs of welcome everywhere. What matters in life is that space between us, formulated by philosopher Martin Buber as I-Thou. It's a sacred space of shared existence where we feel each other's uniqueness and feel our common humanity. Today's attentive poem fosters a consciousness in which we view our lives as more in relation to each other, as close as two small letters.” Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp

We discuss 'The Race' by Tom Murray and the poem 'Us' by Zaffar Kunial.

In the fifth episode of the Church Times Poetry Podcast for Lent, Mark Oakley reflects on the poem “Prayer” by Zaffar Kunial, published in his collection Us (Faber & Faber, 2018). “The beauty of life is heard in this poem, but are the prayers that emerge out of its fragility and pain heard by anyone, by God?” Canon Oakley says. “For all our stores of knowledge and ingenuity, there are questions whose answers remain unknown in life. Our approach to them can distil us or destroy us. The poet John Keats referred to “negative capability” . . . that is, the ability we can have to hold doubts and mysteries without resolving them, resisting the impatience for quick clarity, in order to deepen and learn from them. “This is a defining characteristic of Kunial's work, and certainly one of its attractions. The natural reticence mixed with the quiet strength of not grasping to a single view is, for me, very aligned to the sensibilities of a religious faith.” This is the last of Canon Oakley's Lent podcasts. The series will continue in Holy Week when Malcolm Guite will reflect on a series of sonnets. Canon Mark Oakley is the Dean of St John's College, Cambridge. His book The Splash of Words (Canterbury Press) won the 2019 Michael Ramsey Prize for Theological Writing. Artwork by Emily Noyce. Producer: Ed Thornton Try 10 issues of the Church Times for £10 or get two months access to our website and apps, also for £10. Go to churchtimes.co.uk/new-reader

On The Verb this week join Ian McMillan for a celebration of remarkable poets and poetry as he presents readings from all the collections shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize. The prize is awarded annually by the T.S. Eliot Foundation for the best collection of the year and the winner receives £25,000. Anthony Joseph was declared this year's winner by the judges for his 'luminous' collection Sonnets for Albert. Alongside readings from the poets themselves, Ian reflects how their work reverberates with the here and now, refreshing the language and giving us maps and signposts for these turbulent times. The shortlisted poets featured along with Anthony Joseph are Victoria Adukwei Bulley, Philip Gross, Denise Saul, Yomi Sode, Mark Pajak, Jemma Borg, James Conor Patterson, Zaffar Kunial and Fiona Benson. Presenter: Ian McMillan Producer: Cecile Wright

On The Verb this week join Ian McMillan for a celebration of remarkable poets and poetry as he presents readings from all the collections shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize. The prize is awarded annually by the T.S. Eliot Foundation for the best collection of the year and the winner receives £25,000. Anthony Joseph was declared this year's winner by the judges for his 'luminous' collection Sonnets for Albert. Alongside readings from the poets themselves, Ian reflects how their work reverberates with the here and now, refreshing the language and giving us maps and signposts for these turbulent times. The shortlisted poets featured along with Anthony Joseph are Victoria Adukwei Bulley, Philip Gross, Denise Saul, Yomi Sode, Mark Pajak, Jemma Borg, James Conor Patterson, Zaffar Kunial and Fiona Benson. Presenter: Ian McMillan Producer: Cecile Wright

Writer Amy Liptrot, author of The Outrun and The Instant, takes her friend, poet Zaffar Kunial, to the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, West Yorkshire. Together they explore the former home of the Brontë sisters – Charlotte, Emily and Anne – and see where some of their most famous novels were written. From the dining table where the sisters shared their work, to early reviews of Wuthering Heights, intimate objects and artefacts prompt conversations about Amy and Zaffar's own inspirations as writers. And, after exploring the house and museum, they head out into the landscape and discover a poem in the wild. Notes: The exhibition Defying Expectations: Inside Charlotte Brontë's Wardrobe is at the Brontë Parsonage Museum until 1 January 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A tantalising twinkle on your favourite device? Relax! It's Planet Poetry surging back with Season Three! Onboard for Episode 1 is  Kim Moore, talking about All The Men I Never Married, from Seren — a powerful work... Compelling, complex and empathetic. No wonder it is currently Shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Collection. Plus your favourite podcasters discuss their holiday reading — Robin touches on Helen Dunmore's Inside The Wave,  England's Green by Zaffar Kunial, and Pilgrim Bell by Kaveh Akbar. Peter mentions The Axion Esti  by

48 years after the British jury gave them nul points at the Eurovision song contest, ABBA the avatars begin a long term arena residency in London. Samira talks to the director Baillie Walsh and the choreographer Wayne McGregor about creating the show. Terence Davies, director of some of the finest films ever made in the UK, such as Distant Voices, Still Lives and The Long Day Closes, talks to Samira Ahmed about his new film Benediction. It's based on the life of Siegfried Sassoon, one of the great poets of the Great War. As well as writing about its horrors and having fought with great courage, he declared his refusal to take any further part in it because he saw that the people in power, who could bring the suffering to an end, were prolonging the slaughter. The film chronicles his troubled life as a gay man after the war. It is two years tomorrow since George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis. To mark this sad anniversary, we asked the poet Zaffar Kunial, whose first collection Us was shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot prize, to reflect on this and see if he could write a poem. He did, and reads Watershed, for the first time.

Lias Saoudi of Fat White Family discusses the ‘Johnson  method' alongside the theme of Futility! Fear! Faith! with author of the cult worldtrip-inside-your-soul book, Threshold, Rob Doyle, and Jenni  Fagan, who's recent novel, Luckenbooth frames gothic Victoriana into Edinburgh tenements over 9 decades by way of beatnik residents of mulitudinous force.  Also, hear work from Jeremy Reed, Connor Seed and  Vida Adamcewski's letter to her brother, Saul from Fat White Family.   Hosted by Kirsty Allison, with thanks to Clare Lynch for producing.This  is the first show on Soho Radio NYC & Culture from the venerable  Ambit arts and literary quarterly, which was established in 1959 by Dr  Martin Bax in London.  Editors have included JG Ballard and Eduardo  Paolozzi.  Work by everyone from William S Burroughs, Stevie Smith,  David Hockney, Francis Bacon, Linton Kwesi Johnson to more recent  literary and arts idols has been published on the infamous pages which  became somewhat banned in 1969 for launching a competition for work  written on drugs.Poet  Briony Bax (Rough Trade Books) took to the helm in 2013, and recently  recruited Kirsty Allison, who have together introduced the all new Ambit  Pop editions, which interchange with the traditional unsolicited  submission editions of 96 pages selected by editors.The first Ambit Pop is out now, and is guest edited by Lias Saoudi of Fat White Family who  introduces a stellar crew of Rob Doyle, Jenni Fagan, Benjamin Myers,  Adelle Stripe, Jeremy Reed, Zaffar Kunial, Connor Seed, Nina Power, Vida  Adamczewski, Niall Griffiths - with art from Marco Livingstone, Steven  Allan, Anna McDowell, Wayne Horse, and Neal Fox (Le Gun) have created  something quite exceptional, and it's £10 or £30 for a print  subscription for a year.The  annual competition is currently open for another month with the theme  of Metamorphosis and judges: Deborah Levy (stories), Kim Addonizio  (poems) and Michael Salu (illustration).  Enter now!https://ambitmagazine.co.uk/ To hear more, visit kirstyallison.substack.com

Lias Saoudi of Fat White Family discusses the ‘Johnson method' alongside the theme of Futility! Fear! Faith! with author of the cult worldtrip-inside-your-soul book, Threshold, Rob Doyle, and Jenni Fagan, who's recent novel, Luckenbooth frames gothic Victoriana into Edinburgh tenements over 9 decades by way of beatnik residents of mulitudinous force. Also, hear work from Jeremy Reed, Connor Seed and Vida Adamcewski's letter to her brother, Saul from Fat White Family. Hosted by Kirsty Allison, with thanks to Clare Lynch for producing. This is the first show on Soho Radio NYC & Culture from the venerable Ambit arts and literary quarterly, which was established in 1959 by Dr Martin Bax in London. Editors have included JG Ballard and Eduardo Paolozzi. Work by everyone from William S Burroughs, Stevie Smith, David Hockney, Francis Bacon, Linton Kwesi Johnson to more recent literary and arts idols has been published on the infamous pages which became somewhat banned in 1969 for launching a competition for work written on drugs. Poet Briony Bax (Rough Trade Books) took to the helm in 2013, and recently recruited Kirsty Allison, who have together introduced the all new Ambit Pop editions, which interchange with the traditional unsolicited submission editions of 96 pages selected by editors. The first Ambit Pop is out now, and is guest edited by Lias Saoudi of Fat White Family who introduces a stellar crew of Rob Doyle, Jenni Fagan, Benjamin Myers, Adelle Stripe, Jeremy Reed, Zaffar Kunial, Connor Seed, Nina Power, Vida Adamczewski, Niall Griffiths - with art from Marco Livingstone, Steven Allan, Anna McDowell, Wayne Horse, and Neal Fox (Le Gun) have created something quite exceptional, and it's £10 or £30 for a print subscription for a year. The annual competition is currently open for another month with the theme of Metamorphosis and judges: Deborah Levy (stories), Kim Addonizio (poems) and Michael Salu (illustration). Enter now! https://ambitmagazine.co.uk/

Connor and Jack discuss Zaffar Kunial's elegant sonnet, "The Word." They marvel at the poem's seemingly effortless meditation on being between two cultures—particularly in a postcolonial context—and how it evokes so much through one simple word: "the." Check out Kunial's latest collection, here: https://www.faber.co.uk/9780571337651-us.html. You can hear Kunial read "The Word", here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P87bOpCzn6o The Word By: Zaffar Kunial I couldn’t tell you now what possessed me to shut summer out and stay in my room. Or at least attempt to. In bed mostly. It’s my dad, standing in the door frame not entering – but pausing to shape advice that keeps coming back. “Whatever is matter, must enjoy the life.” He pronounced this twice. And me, I heard wrongness in putting a the before life. In two minds. Ashamed. Aware. That I knew better, though was stuck inside while the sun was out. That I’m native here. In a halfway house. Like that sticking word. That definite article, half right, half wrong, still present between enjoy and life. Find us at our website: www.closetalking.com/ Find us on Facebook at: facebook.com/closetalking 
Find us on Twitter at: twitter.com/closetalking
 Find us on Instagram: @closetalkingpoetry You can always send us an e-mail with thoughts on this or any of our previous podcasts, as well as suggestions for future shows, at closetalkingpoetry@gmail.com.

Have you ever projected your own awkwardness onto someone else? How did you do it? And how would you address them now? This poem recalls how, as a young adult, Zaffar Kunial judged his immigrant father’s way of speaking English. A poem that’s filled with adolescence as with awkward parental relationships, it also speaks of his yearning to fit in, to enjoy his own life. Shame features in this poem — the younger poet had been ashamed of his father’s grammar, but now, with time, he seems ashamed to have been that son.Zaffar Kunial was born in Birmingham to an English mother and a Kashmiri father. He has served poet-in-residence for the Wordsworth Trust and Ledbury Poetry Festival, and has spoken at various literature festivals and on BBC Radio. His poem “The Word” won the Geoffrey Dearmer Prize. Us is his first collection.Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.

The death of Geoffrey Palmer was announced today. Two of his leading co-stars, Dame Judi Dench and Wendy Craig, pay tribute. Ruth Wilson plays the sinister and ruthlessly ambitious Mrs Coulter in the BBC’s lavish adaptation of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. We catch up with her as series two begins to discuss the relationship with her estranged daughter Lyra, working with a digital monkey, and to ask if baddies are just more fun to play. November marks the 25th anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act, criminalising discrimination against disabled people in many areas of life. The anniversary is being marked on BBC TV and radio with a focus on the arts. For Radio 4, Jenny Sealey, of Graeae Theatre, and Polly Thomas have directed an adaptation of a Ben Johnson play - Bartholomew Fair - reimagined as The Bartholomew Abominations, set in a dystopian future. Two major pop acts have new releases out – longstanding international treasure Kylie Minogue and relative newcomers on the block, Little Mix. Katie Puckrik and Roisin O’Connor join John to discuss the merits (or otherwise?) of the albums and also to select a cultural highlight they’ve been enjoying recently Fifty years ago Ted Hughes published Crow: From the Life and Songs of the Crow. The Crow is a violent shape-shifter, a ruthless trickster who is determined to survive. A new edition of Crow has just been published and in Front Row Marina Warner, who has written the foreword, reveals the brutal beauty that Hughes achieved. The poet Zaffar Kunial reflects on how the rough music of the Songs of the Crow echoes across half a century to us today. We hear, too, from the archive, powerful readings of the poems by Ted Hughes himself. Presenter: John Wilson Producer: Sarah Johnson

As part of ILFDublin 2019, we were delighted to welcome Sophie Collins, Zaffar Kunial and Hannah Sullivan, three exciting new voices in poetry. The event was presented in association with Faber & Faber for their 90th anniversary, and kindly supported by Poetry Ireland. ILFDublin is an initiative of Dublin City Council, kindly supported by the Arts Council of Ireland. See www.ilfdublin.com for the latest news and programme info.

This week the cabaret of the word heads to the playing field to examine the language of sports writing. Playing for Ian McMillan's team are the T.S.Eliot nominated poet Zaffar Kunial who has just published a pamphlet of poems on cricket, Frank Skinner, whose 'Fantasy Football League' set the tone for sports coverage in the 90's, and we'll hear another short form audio piece recorded as part of the 'New Creatives' Scheme; Joseph Bond's creative documentary 'All Ball'. Verb regular Rob Drummond returns with an analysis of the lexicon of sports commentators Presenter: Ian McMillan Producer: Cecile Wright

Jackie Kay revealed her list of 10 BAME writers for the International Literature Showacse at the Cheltenham Literature Festival earlier this month. This recording of the event has Jackie in conversation with three of her selected writers: Eric Ngalle Charles, Zaffar Kunial and Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi. The International Literature Showcase is a partnership project presented by us and British Council, with support from Arts Council England and Creative Scotland. Apologies for the audio quality of this episode - hopefully the quality of the discussion more than makes up for it! Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna. Music by Bennet Maples.

Emma John presents a special show from The Oval to celebrate the end of the series. She’s joined by Daniel Norcross, Alison Mitchell, Barney Ronay, Geoff Lemon, Melinda Farrell, Jarrod Kimber and poet Zaffar Kunial. The Ashes series was drawn 2-2, but which team had the better summer?

Award-winning poet Andrew McMillan takes a deeper look at the poetry of the North, as part of Rich Seams, a brand new podcast series celebrating the best of new and emerging poetry in the North of England. Andrew’s journey brings him to Yorkshire with Rachael Allen, Kit Fan and Zaffar Kunial to consider what it takes to feel at home somewhere and whether the idea of a poetry of the north is really a signpost to a continuous journey rather than a final destination. Recorded on 12 November 2018 in Leeds, West Yorkshire.

In this special episode, Southbank Centre literature team's Ted Hodgkinson and Debo Amon turn their focus to the TS Eliot Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in the poetry calendar. Listen to extracts from the nominated poets’ collections read by the nominees, and, fresh from the 2019 ceremony, Debo shares reaction from the event, including an interview with the winner, Hannah Sullivan. Plus the pair discuss the themes and the nerves of this year’s competition as well as asking if 2019 is the year of the debut collection? 'Very often collections have an overarching narrative, or approach a particular subject… however this is a very uncategorisable series of poems, because it really does encompass universal and gigantic themes which have run across literature'. 'Very often collections have an overarching narrative, or approach a particular subject… however this is a very uncategorisable series of poems, because it really does encompass universal and gigantic themes which have run across literature'. Ted Hodgkinson on Hannah Sullivan’s Three Poems

Join Ian McMillan as he comperes a special evening of some of the very best poetry published over the last year - at the annual T.S.Eliot Prize readings, recorded in front of an audience at the Royal Festival Hall. All the short-listed poets will be featured, including the U.S. Laureate Tracy K Smith, Terrance Hayes, Nick Laird, Zaffar Kunial, Fiona Moore, Sean O'Brien, Ailbhe Darcy, Hannah Sullivan, Richard Scott and Phoebe Power.

Zaffar Kunial is a British poet born in Birmingham, who currently lives in Shipley, Yorkshire. His mother was English and his father, who has since moved to Lahore, is from Kashmir.

Four of poetry's liveliest new voices – A.K. Blakemore, Victoria Adukwei Bulley, Amy Key and Zaffar Kunial – joined us for an evening of readings hosted by Martha Sprackland of Offord Road Books. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Lehman Trilogy at the National Theatre is an epic new play directed by Sam Mendes, which tells the story of the American banking dynasty from its humble beginnings in Alabama to its bankruptcy in the 2008 crash. John talks to Simon Russell Beale, Adam Godley and Ben Miles, who play the founding Lehman brothers and many other characters too. As the 100th Now That's What I Call Music album is released, John discusses the extraordinary success of the hits compilation series and examines its cultural impact with Now curator Pete Duckworth and music critic Katie Puckrik. Poet Zaffar Kunial's father is Kashmiri, his mother's ancestors lived in Orkney, and he was born in Birmingham, and, as he tells John Wilson, his poetry bridges these worlds and their languages. Zaffar's debut collection Us is published by Faber & Faber, which he describes as like being signed by Manchester United. Presenter: John Wilson Producer: Timothy ProsserMain image - (L-R) Simon Russell Beale, Ben Miles and Adam Godley in The Lehman Trilogy. Photo by Mark Douet.

In the penultimate episode of our first series, Rachael and Jack are joined in the studio by Holly Pester and Sam Riviere, plus a pat of butter and a set of nail clippers, which inspire conversations about poetry writing and its relationship to research, archives and procrastination. Audio postcards featured in this episode are: ‘Pathetic earthlings’ written and read by Will Harris. ‘Sparkhill’ written and read by Zaffar Kunial. ‘Nude in the Cat House’ written and read by Monica McClure. For more information, author bios & links see [here](https://www.faber.co.uk/blog/faber-poetry-podcast-episode-five-holly-pester-sam-riviere). The Faber Poetry Podcast is produced by Rachael Allen, Jack Underwood and Hannah Marshall for Faber & Faber. Editing by Billy Godfrey at Strathmore Publishing. Special thanks to Will Harris, Zaffar Kunial, Monica McClure, Holly Pester and Sam Riviere. Catch up on our previous episodes here or wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts. If you like our show you can subscribe on iTunes so you don’t miss forthcoming episodes in our first six-part series and please rate and review us, if you feel inclined to do so, we're very grateful for the support of all our listeners – thank you!

Martin Green, CEO of Hull City of Culture 2017, reveals what's in next year's programme, and film-maker Sean McAllister discusses his plans for the opening seven-day event, Made In Hull.Emma Donoghue, author of Room, talks about her new novel, The Wonder. It's a gothic thriller set in 19th-century Ireland, where a young girl is said to have eaten nothing for months but appears to be thriving miraculously. To celebrate the autumn equinox, poet Zaffar Kunial will perform his poem Prayer, which recalls his father's first words to him as a new-born, and the last words he whispered in his mother's ear. Director Ira Sachs discusses his new film Little Men, which tells the story of a pair of best friends who have their bond tested by their parents' battle over a dress shop lease. Today's shortlisted author for the BBC National Short Story Award is K J Orr, whose story Disappearances is told from the perspective of a retired cosmetic surgeon in Buenos Aires who strikes up an unlikely friendship with a waitress in a cafe.

"I'm struck by the meaninglessness of words, how slippery they are and yet I also want to believe in them. I'm left stuck between the two." Zaffar Kunial talks to Maurice Riordan about all his successes in 2014: winning the Geoffrey Dearmer Prize, his residency at the Wordsworth Trust (his first job as a 'poet') and publication in the Faber New Poets series. He also talks about writing for Hallmark Cards, bilingualism, identity and discovering his voice as a poet. He also reads his poem 'Fielder'.

Zaffar Kunial won a Northern Writers’ Awards in 2013 and was subsequently selected to be part of the Faber New Poets 2013-14 scheme, alongside Rachael Allen, Will Burns and Declan Ryan. Backed by an innovative publishing programme and funded by Arts Council England, Faber New Poets aims to identify and support emerging talents at an early stage in their careers. To celebrate the publication of their poetry pamphlets, the four poets read together at Durham Book Festival 2014 at an event presented in association with the Centre for Poetry and Poetics, Durham University.