Available for 21 days

A shepherd sows the seeds of hope for mankind in this inspiring tale set in Europe between the wars.

Written in two parts by Jean Giono.

Read by Bill Paterson.

Director: Andy Jordan

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 1992.

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DIY Poets started in 2003 with the production of issue 1 of our free A6 zine. We wanted more people to read poetry. I had never seen anyone read a book of poetry on the train. We put the zines out in local bars and cafes.

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Life on Mars was released on David Bowie's Hunky Dory album in 1971.

Two years later it came out as a single in its own right. Famous for its exploration of disillusionment and alienation, there is no one single definitive story behind it. But that is perhaps the song's beauty and the secret behind its appeal - that its cryptic lyrics are open to interpretation, and can mean different things to different people.

Musicians and fans talk about what Life on Mars? means to them, and its lasting emotional impact.

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Debbie and Tim bring their writing community to the airwaves! Whether it's poetry, novels or scripts, they'll be talking all things spoken word from people near and far.

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In the title poem from his new book, DIY Poet Hongwei reclaims the yellow fruit. Hongwei's book is available from Five Leaves Bookshop and the Pride Shop, in Nottingham or online (though obviously we encourage you to shop local wherever possible)

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Here's first place poetry winner Ishita Uppadhayay performing 'Uxbridge Moon'.

If you didn't get to join us for the Aurora Prize for Writing 2025 awards evening, then you're back in luck! We're sharing performances from each of our winners over the next few weeks!

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This episode had the theme 'hiding and/or seeking'. It includes an interview and reading from Nancy Campbell. Other poets are Guy Jones, Zelda Cahill-Patten, Lesley Saunders, Pat Winslow, Richard Lister, Dinah Livingstone, Sarah Mnatzaganian and Fokkina McDonnell. you can find the texts of unpublished poems and more information about the poets at poetryworthhearing.biz.

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Welcome to FluentinBoth! Prepare to be spellbound as we present a truly extraordinary performance for the renowned Nottingham Poetry Festival 2023 by the brilliant poet, Toso Haruna, at Boavista Restaurant cafe in Nottingham . Get ready to experience "Black".

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Connor and Jack discuss the Langston Hughes poem "Kids Who Die" a work that, especially in light of the inauguration and recent protests, has an enduring resonance. This poem is, in small part, a prayer for resisters everywhere.

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Ioney’s poems are influenced by her Jamaican heritage, her experience as a Black woman in England and her love of the natural world.

She uses writing to oppose social injustices, to question the status quo and to confront abuse. As a Spoken Word Educator she encourages young people to harness the power of poetry to realise their own greatness. She is committed to developing her creative writing pedagogy and is about to embark on a MA in Creative Writing/Education at Goldsmiths University.

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Poets off the Endz is a manifestation of powerful creative energy through spoken word, poetry and live music.

A poetry and spoken word platform born from a YouTube series of the same name, Poets off the Endz is curated by Jah Digga – an artist and force majeure in his own right from the city of Nottingham.

This show will feature performances from Chris Oliver, Abdul Malik, 2tone, Jaleesa, Lyvia Mason, Ryan Dre Sinclair and the evening’s proceedings will be hosted by Limara. Don’t miss.

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Kat Francois performs her poem against deaths in custody on SKY 1 TV programme, WHAT's UP?, February 2016. Thanks to WHAT'S UP for providing the footage.

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Nottingham-based poet Panya Banjoko wrote this poem which combines words of wisdom, saying and adages. It is inspired by 1 to 1 workshops Panya ran with older member of Nottingham's African-Caribbean community.

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Benjamin Zephaniah reads his poem 'Money' on the hoof in Newcastle city centre, back in 1991. Now even more topical, this poem is from his 1992 Bloodaxe collection CITY PSALMS:

The film is from the Wordworks series of short poem films made by Tyne Tees Television with Bloodaxe Books first shown in May-June 1992 produced by Mark Lavender and directed by Rob Cowley.

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The 35th episode of Poetry Worth Hearing had as its prompt 'making up'. As ever, I hoped poets would interpret this as widely as they needed to and suggested a triplet of ideas as starting points: making up as reconciliation, cosmetics or fiction. Then I realised there are many more possible meanings including the basic idea of structure or composition. The most numerous responses considered the theme of reconciliation; others went to lipstick and mascara and all were composing or making something up.

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A shadow puppet performance of ‘One of a Kind’ – a poem written and read by Panya Banjoko. Panya is a Nottingham-based writer, storyteller and poet. In 2017 this poem was commended in the Writing East Midlands Aurora poetry competition. Filmed & edited by Tim Chesney.

Part of City Arts’ Words of Wisdom project. Supported by Arts Council England and Baring Foundation.

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Catch Guy Jones on Huype Writer with The Photograph
From 35 mins 27 Seconds

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Imagine a garden where the most magical seeds can grow! Listen as poet Leanne Moden explores bizarre and fantastical plants. Inspired by this year’s Summer Reading Challenge theme, Story Garden.

Commissioned as part of Inspire's 2025 Artist and Author in Residence programme.

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Today it is raining. Keith sent me this video and asked if I had any rain poems. I sat watching the rain and a poem came along. Fim editing by Keith Turner - check out his other amazing films ‪@kthtrnr‬

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A poem from DIY poet Guy Jones.

Filming and editing was done as part of Hothouse Theatre's Youth Project. The video features two members of the Hothouse Youth group. Full permissions obtained.

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Join host Dr. Michael Anthony Ingram as he inaugurates the newly rebranded Quintessential Poetry platform with acclaimed poet and spoken word artist Laura Grevel. In this episode, Laura shares profound insights from her extensive life across five different countries. Delving into her poetic influences, the importance of capturing human stories, and the themes that drive her work, Laura reads a variety of her poetic pieces.

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From the poetry collection 'Table for One, Please', Showdown with a Brotha explores the complex relationship between black men and black women.

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Leanne Moden is a poet, performer and workshop leader, based in Nottingham in the East Midlands.

She's performed at events across the UK and Europe, including the Edinburgh Fringe, WOMAD Festival, the Living Record Festival, the Brighton Fringe, Sofar Sounds, Stanza Newcastle, the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival, the Beverley Folk Festival, and Bestival on the Isle of Wight, as well as Prima Vista Festival in Estonia and Dia Mundial de la Poesia in Spain.

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Ever had that kind of relationship where you know you ought to leave but you keep hoping it will all turn out OK? Where you know there is a cost to continuing but maybe ...

This original poem by Lytisha Tunbridge explores her relationship with her internet provider. She has since changed.

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From the USA, Laura Grevel lives in Europe. She is a performance poet, fiction writer and blogger. Her writings have been published widely. Laura often reads at international online literary events.

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Hazel has been a member of DIY poets since 2014, when she moved to Nottingham and began reading her work out loud. She has since read all over the place, has contributed to online and print collaborations, and her debut book "To See the Moon" is published by big White Shed. Hazel explores mixing poetry and music with stop frame animation in this gentle poem.

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DIY Poets, a Nottingham UK based poetry collective, has been in existence since the beginning of this millennium. We hold monthly workshops and perform at quarterly showcase events at City Arts, Nottingham. We can also be found on stages at art & literature festivals around the country. Where possible we aim to deliver hybrid events to ensure we are as accessible as possible, whether you can make it to the venue, or join us virtually.

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Our literary magazine’s second quarterly edition, Year Two.

Breaking out of patterns. Coming full circle and finding home.

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This episode of the podcast features readings by Eugene O'Hare, David Edelman, Colleen Machut, Isabella G. Mead, Jeremy Haworth and Madeleine F. White, Hosted and produced by Damien B. Donnelly

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This episode had as its theme 'losing and / or finding'.It includes a poem from David Constantine about losing and finding, as well as apiece from Caroline Maldonado talking about her book, Mirror and Stone , in which, with the artist, Garry Lennard, she 'finds' Michelangelo. There are also poems from Eugene O'Hare, Kate Young, Lizzie Ballagher, Joseph Long, Claire Parker, Eva Wal, Elizabeth Barton, Helen Overell, Rebecca Wheatley, Fokkina McDonnell, Nicholas McGaughey, Jenny Hockey, Jane Newberry and Trisha Broomfield.

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On 6th December 2024 we hosted our final showcase of the year at the Scottish Storytelling Centre! It featured EmmaClaire Brightlyn, Mike Yuill, Tom Bird, and Ben Macpherson. It was hosted by Kevin Mclean with music from Jack Hinks.

At our December show, Ben Macpherson performed an impressive univocal poem - a poem which uses only one vowel!

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A poem inspired by a conversation with a friend about the reduction in unwanted male attention she received after she cut her hair really short.

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Carol Rumens's poem of the week

A wintry vision of the separation of two lovers gains fresh energy from the verse’s roots in folk song

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Remembering World War 1 Some of Britain's finest actors read poetry from World War I

Sean Bean reads Wilfred Owen's Anthem for Doomed Youth.

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Alex Jennings reads the Wilfred Owen poem at the emotional heart of Benjamin Britten's anti-war masterpiece, the War Requiem.

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Remembering World War 1 Some of Britain's finest actors read poetry from World War I

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This episode features an interview with Northern Ireland poet, Matthew Rice, where he talks about his jurney in poetry and gives a short reading of his work. Most of the poems come from his forthcoming collection which deals with the experience of shift work in a factory. Matthew's presentation of blue collar industrial work from the inside is fairly unusual in poetry, and this insider's view accords well with the theme of inside / outside which was the prompt for this episode. It was chosen to give poets plenty of latitude and this is reflected in the variety and wealth of poems received. Poets in this episode include Alison Jones, John White, Helen Overell, Clare Starling, Pat Winslow, Jane Thomas, Susan Thomas, Guy Jones, Polly Walshe, Maureen Jivani, Julia Webb, John Daniel, Diana Bell, Lizzie Ballagher, Stephen Claughton and Lucy Ingrams.

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Written version

Here are two poems by Hongwei Bao, Chinese Gooseberry and Self Portrait as a Banana, published in Litter Magazine.

Hongwei Bao is based in Nottingham and a regular contributor to the local poetry scene.

He has just publish a boom of poems Dream of the Orchid Pavilion, which you can find in our bookshop.

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