Celebrating ten years of recording essential classic, modern and emerging poetry, The Poetry Archive is a website that aims to bring the widest possible audience to the fullest possible range of English-language poetry published around the world.
As part of my recent interview with joint founder (and Minchinhampton resident) Richard Carrington, I asked him to list five of his favourite poetry recordings from the archive...
1 - Eden Rock by Charles Causley
"When I made this recording in the last year of the poet’s life, it was clear to both of us that he was reading his poems for the last time. You can hear the emotion in his voice as he reaches the last line." www.poetryarchive.org/poem/eden-rock
2 - Earthed by U A Fanthorpe
"This was the first ever recording we made for the Poetry Archive. In her house in Wotton-under-Edge in May 2000, U. A. reads this love poem to some of the places where she had lived in England." www.poetryarchive.org/poem/earthed
3 - The Loch Ness Monster’s Song by Edwin Morgan
"Try reading this poem before you listen to the recording. Baffling, isn’t it! This is a great example of what’s added to your experience by hearing a poet reading his or her work for you." www.poetryarchive.org/poem/loch-ness-monsters-song
4 - Memorial by Alice Oswald
"The opening section of Alice Oswald’s magnificent re-telling of Homer’s Iliad, mesmerizingly performed from memory in the recording studio."www.poetryarchive.org/poem/memorial
5 - They Should Have Asked My Husband by Pam Ayres
"Another great Gloucestershire favourite." www.poetryarchive.org/poem/they-should-have-asked-my-husband
Nikki Owen is an author and writer. Her début thriller, Subject 375 (Harper Collins), is out now. Visit her blog www.nikkiowen.wordpress.com or website www.nikkiowenauthor.com
Pick up issue #13 April 2016 (out now!) to read more about The Poetry Archive and Nikki's interview with Richard Carrington