The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed
BBC Radio 4 show and podcast 2020–
The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed is a British podcast and BBC Radio 4 programme in which the Poet Laureate Simon Armitage speaks to an invited guest, usually in his writing-shed of his Yorkshire home. The first series of twelve hour-long broadcasts began in March 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic , the second series of nine began in July 2021,[ 1] [ 2] [ 3] [ 4] [ 5] and the third series began in February 2023.[ 6] The programme broadcast on 27 May 2020 was recorded while Armitage was self-isolating during the COVID-19 pandemic , and was the last of the first series.[ 7]
The broadcasts were recorded in Armitage's writing shed in the garden of his home in West Yorkshire . The contents of the shed include "a harmonium, a pizza oven, a daybed, books on birdspotting, a decent spread of music cassettes, and an impressive collection of sherry",[ 8] and he has described it as "close to nature without camping on the lawn, it's half inside and half outside".[ 9] Armitage and his guest have a wide-ranging conversation, often touching on his ongoing translation of the medieval poem The Owl and the Nightingale , and the guest answers a series of quick-fire questions such as "night or day, north or south, Woman's Hour or In Our Time ?" before being offered a glass of sherry .[ 10] [ 11]
In series 3, broadcast in 2023, the podcast available on BBC Sounds was up to 60 mins long but only a shortened version of 30 mins was broadcast on Radio 4.
Episodes
Episodes
Series
Episode number
First broadcast
Guest
Notes
1
1
4 March 2020
Guy Garvey , singer, music presenter, birdwatcher
[ 12] [ 13]
2
11 March 2020
Kae Tempest , author
[ 14] [ 15]
3
18 March 2020
Testament, rapper and beatboxing champion[ 10]
[ 16]
4
25 March 2020
Maxine Peake , actor
[ 17]
5
1 April 2020
Antony Gormley , sculptor
[ 18]
6
8 April 2020
Lily Cole , model and entrepreneur
[ 19]
7
15 April 2020
Sam Lee , singer
[ 20]
8
22 April 2020
Melanie Plimmer , judge
[ 21]
9
6 May 2020
Jackie Kay , poet
[ 22]
10
13 May 2020
Laura Ashe , historian
[ 23] [ 11]
11
20 May 2020
Chris Packham
[ 24] [ 25]
12
27 May 2020
No guest
Recorded in self-isolation[ 7]
2
13
3 July 2021
Johnny Marr , guitarist and member of The Smiths
[ 26] [ 27]
14
10 July 2021
Amanda Owen , shepherdess
[ 28] [ 29]
15
17 July 2021
Imtiaz Dharker , poet
[ 30]
16
24 July 2021
J. K. Rowling , writer
[ 31]
17
31 July 2021
Jo Whiley , radio and television presenter
[ 32]
18
7 August 2021
Gillian Burke , television presenter
Recorded in Gyllyngdune Gardens in Falmouth.[ 33]
19
14 August 2021
John Tiffany , theatre director
[ 34]
20
21 August 2021
Sabrina Verjee , vet and ultrarunner
[ 35]
21
28 August 2021
Prince Charles , Prince of Wales
Recorded in the Prince's "shed", a barn at Llwynywermod in Wales.[ 36] [ 37] [ 38]
3
22
5 February 2023
Ian McKellen , actor
[ 6] [ 39]
23
12 February 2023
Lucy Beaumont , comedian
[ 40]
24
19 February 2023
Simon Dobson , composer and conductor
[ 41]
25
26 February 2023
Pam Ayres , poet
[ 42]
26
5 March 2023
Loyle Carner , musician
Recorded in Carner's studio in Hackney , London. [ 43]
27
12 March 2023
Olive Senior , poet
[ 44]
28
19 March 2023
Glyn Maxwell , musician
[ 45]
29
26 March 2023
Julie Hesmondhalgh
[ 46]
References
^ "Simon Armitage invites guests for sherry in The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed" . Financial Times . 12 April 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed returns to Radio 4" . RadioToday . 16 June 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ Maier, John. "Contains moments of spellbinding banality: Radio 4's The Poet Laureate has Gone to his Shed reviewed" . The Spectator . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "Guy Garvey - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed - ManchesterTheatres.com" . Manchester Theatres . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed" . Listen Notes . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ a b "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Ian McKellen" . BBC . Retrieved 31 January 2023 .
^ a b "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Simon Armitage" . BBC . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ Johnson, Alex (12 March 2020). "A tour of Simon Armitage's writing shed" . Shedworking . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ Sherwin, Adam (4 March 2020). "Poet Laureate Simon Armitage launches BBC podcast from his garden shed" . inews.co.uk . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ a b "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Welcome to The Poet Laureate Has Gone To His Shed" . BBC . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ a b Wickham, Edward (5 June 2020). "Radio review: The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Analysis: Identity wars, and The Archers" . www.churchtimes.co.uk . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "Guy Garvey - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed - ManchesterTheatres.com" . Manchester Theatres . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "Guy Garvey: Nine things we learned when he spoke to Simon Armitage" . BBC . Retrieved 12 February 2023 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Kate Tempest" . BBC . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "Kate Tempest: 10 things we learned when she spoke to Simon Armitage" . BBC . Retrieved 12 February 2023 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Testament" . BBC . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Maxine Peake" . BBC . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Antony Gormley" . BBC . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Lily Cole" . BBC . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Sam Lee" . BBC . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Judge Melanie Plimmer" . BBC . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Jackie Kay" . BBC . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Laura Ashe" . BBC . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Chris Packham" . BBC . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "Chris Packham: Seven things we learned when he spoke to Simon Armitage" . BBC .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Amanda Owen" . BBC . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "Johnny Marr: 10 things we learned when he spoke to Simon Armitage" . BBC . Retrieved 12 February 2023 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Amanda Owen" . BBC . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "Simon Armitage does Haiku" . Julie Mellor - poet . 12 July 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Imtiaz Dharker" . BBC . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, JK Rowling" . BBC . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Jo Whiley" . BBC . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Gillian Burke" . BBC . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, John Tiffany" . BBC . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Sabrina Verjee" . BBC . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, HRH Prince Charles" . BBC . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "The Prince of Wales appears on 'The Poet Laureate Has Gone To His Shed' " . www.princeofwales.gov.uk . Prince of Wales. 28 August 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ Sherwin, Adam (11 August 2021). "Prince Charles invites Poet Laureate Simon Armitage into his garden shed for Radio 4 chat" . inews.co.uk . Retrieved 10 July 2022 .
^ "Sir Ian McKellen: 10 things we learned when he spoke to the Poet Laureate" . BBC . Retrieved 12 February 2023 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Lucy Beaumont" . BBC . Retrieved 6 February 2023 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Simon Dobson" . BBC . Retrieved 6 February 2023 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Pam Ayres" . BBC . Retrieved 12 February 2023 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Loyle Carner" . BBC . Retrieved 5 March 2023 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Olive Senior" . BBC . Retrieved 5 March 2023 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Glyn Maxwell" . BBC . Retrieved 5 March 2023 .
^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Julie Hesmondhalgh" . BBC . Retrieved 12 March 2023 .
External links
Poetry collections Poetry pamphlets Nonfiction books Other media