Frank Skinner's Poetry Podcast

Avalon

Frank Skinner loves poetry. And he thinks you might like it too. Join Frank each week as he takes you through some of his choice picks of poems. There may be laughter. There may be tears. There will certainly be poetry. Frank Skinner's Poetry Podcast is produced by Sarah Bishop. It is an Avalon production.

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20 episodes
Updated May 13

Episodes20

Newest first

May 13 · 44 min
Kathleen Jamie
Frank views the world from a tree house, with the fabulous Kathleen Jamie. The poem referenced is “The Treehouse” from a collection called “The Treehouse” by Kathleen Jamie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 6 · 33 min
Richard Brautigan
The lead singer of Frank’s favourite band introduced him to the poetry of Richard Brautigan, and it is a gift that keeps on giving. TW: mention of suicide The novel referenced is “Trout Fishing in America”. The collection of poems referenced is “The Pill Versus the Springhill Mine Disaster”. The poems referenced are “Widow’s Lament”, “Love Poem”, “Kafka’s Hat”, “I Cannot Answer You Tonight in Small Portions” and “The Winos on Potrero Hill”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
April 29 · 53 min
George Herbert
Frank gets excited about the brilliant 17th Century poet, George Herbert. The poems referenced are “The Collar” and “The Pulley”, both by George Herbert. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
April 22 · 41 min
Erasure Poetry
Frank explores poems stowed away in prose, as revealed by Nicole Sealey and Emma Filtness. The collections referenced are “The Ferguson Report: An Erasure” by Nicole Sealey and “This Savage Language” by Emma Filtness. The poems referenced are “Page 260” and “Page 5”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
April 15 · 59 min
Poetry Anthologies
Frank celebrates the joys of wallowing in a big fat poetry anthology, in this case "A Century of Poetry in the New Yorker: 1925-2025". The poems referenced are “My Great-Grandmother’s Bible” by Spencer Reece and “How to Listen” by Major Jackson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 27, 2025 · 37 min
Jack Clemo
Frank loves the clay, machinery and scary religion in the poetry of Jack Clemo. The poems reference are ‘A Calvinist in Love’, ‘Christ in the Clay-Pit’, ‘The Excavator’ and ‘Sufficiency’. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 20, 2025 · 53 min
Greta Stoddart
The poet, Greta Stoddart, instructs Frank on the deeper meanings of three tulips in a milk bottle. The poems referenced are ‘Fool’ and ‘Three Tulips in a Milk Bottle’. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 13, 2025 · 37 min
Scott McKendry
Frank joins a secret society with Pebbles Flintstone and the poet, Scott McKendry. The poems referenced are ‘Keepers of the Pedigree’ and ‘Hi-Vis’. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 6, 2025 · 36 min
Amy Clampitt
Frank finds the beauty in Amy Clampitt's poetry and written-off cars. The poem referenced is ‘Salvage’ from ‘The Kingfisher’. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 30, 2025 · 45 min
Rebecca Goss
The poet, Rebecca Goss, shows Frank life in a rearview mirror. The poems referenced are ‘Pheasant in Rear-View Mirror’ and ‘Sylvia’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 23, 2025 · 39 min
RS Thomas
Frank shares a pulpit with RS Thomas. The poems referenced are ‘Border Blues’, ‘Service’ and ‘Poetry For Supper’. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 1, 2025 · 50 min
Mona Van Duyn
Frank is very moved by what the poet, Mona Van Duyn, can do with an eraser. The poem referenced is ‘The Creation’ by Mona Van Duyn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 25, 2024 · 54 min
Craig Raine
Frank and the poet, Craig Raine, explore a disused botanical garden. The poems referenced are ‘A Martian Sends a Postcard Home’, ‘Listen With Mother’ and ‘The Old Botanical Gardens’ by Craig Raine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 18, 2024 · 51 min
Wislawa Szymborska
Frank and the poet, Wislawa Szymborska, discover how many people actually like poetry. The poems referenced are ‘Plato, or Why’ and ‘Some Like Poetry’ by Wislawa Szymborska. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 11, 2024 · 46 min
Seamus Heaney
Frank spends a day in Belfast, wallowing in the poetry of Seamus Heaney. The poem referenced are ‘Personal Helicon’ from ‘Death of a Naturalist’ and ‘Limbo’ by Seamus Heaney. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 4, 2024 · 49 min
Ruth Padel
A poem by Ruth Padel results in Frank staring, for 15 minutes, at an embroidery of an elephant. The poem referenced is ‘Mary’s Elephant, Elizabeth’s Spinet’ from ‘The Soho Leopard’ by Ruth Padel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 27, 2024 · 1 hr 1 min
Frank O'Hara
Frank is more than slightly besotted with ‘Lunch Poems’ by Frank O'Hara. The poems referenced are ‘Personal Poem’ and ‘The Day Lady Died’ by Frank O’Hara. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 20, 2024 · 47 min
Rebecca Hawkes
Frank gets very excited about the Rebecca Hawkes collection, ‘Meat Lovers’. The poems referenced are ‘After The Blizzard I Followed My Mother’ and ‘Pony Club Summer Camp’ by Rebecca Hawkes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 13, 2024 · 54 min
Dylan Thomas
Frank spends the night in Dylan Thomas' bedroom. The poems referenced are ‘And Death Shall Have No Dominion’, ‘Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night’ and ‘A Refusal To Morn The Death, By Fire, Of A Child In London’ by Dylan Thomas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 28, 2024 · 47 min
Martin Bell
Frank loves a hard-drinking, hard-smoking Polytechnic lecturer like Martin Bell, especially when he is offering poetic praise to Groucho Marx. The poems referenced are ‘Ode to Groucho’ by Martin Bell and ‘The Second Coming’ by W.B. Yeats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices