Lunar Poetry Podcasts

Oct 28 2021 132 ep. 46 mins 59

Lunar Poetry Podcasts artwork

A series of discussions, interviews and live recordings with poets from the UK and abroad in which we examine the writing process. Now hosted by Peter deGraft-Johnson a.k.a The Repeat Beat Poet, the series was founded by David Turner in October 2014 in south east London.

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Ep. 132 - Salena Godden

Oct 28 2021 69 mins

This week Repeat Beat Poet is in conversation with poet, author, broadcaster, activist, and longstanding rabble-rousing doyenne of UK poetry, Salena Goddena. The pair reflect on Salena's career in poetry and literature, the inspirations behind her debut novel Mrs Death Misses Death, and have a good chat about the complications and joys of writing to and through an embodiment of Dea

Ep. 131 - Zena Edwards

Jun 27 2021 76 mins

Cece's Speakeasy (30th June-3rd July 2021) - https://applesandsnakes.org/project/ceces-speakeasy/ This week The Repeat Beat Poet speaks to writer, performer, creative director, and tarot-reading multi-faceted artist and activist Zena Edwards. The pair talk about navigating corporate spaces while maintaining integrity, the importance of orality and sound within self-expression, and

Ep. 130 - Sarah Callaghan

Jun 09 2021 61 mins

The terms hard-working and “jack of all trades” get thrown around a lot, but Sarah Callaghan really embodies the two. She’s been a comedian for over ten years with shows across the world from Australia to Austria, and she made the move into poetry when she used it as a tool to work through a difficult period of her life. Poetry was a space that allowed for what comedy didn’

Ep. 129 - Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan

Feb 18 2021 77 mins

This week Peter deGraft-Johnson (The Repeat Beat Poet) speaks to poet , educator, and writer Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan. The pair start by speaking about overcoming the fears of speaking your truth publicly, learning to trust readers and publishers outside of immediate live audiences, and Suhaiymah's journey discovering poetry. Next, we jump into the thick fogs of British colonialism,

Ep. 128 - Bridget Hart

Feb 10 2021 68 mins

“A lot of the ethos that I learned from the punk scene – D.I.Y politics, inclusivity, that kind of thing – I brought with me into Burning Eye Books” - Bridget Hart This week Peter deGraft-Johnson (The Repeat Beat Poet) speaks to poet, editor, producer, publisher with Burning Eye Books, and Grease super-fan Bridget Hart. The pair start by discussing the ethos and succes

Ep. 127 - Otis Mensah

Feb 02 2021 66 mins

This week Peter deGraft-Johnson (The Repeat Beat Poet) speaks to Hip Hop artist and former Sheffield Poet Laureate, Otis Mensah. They discuss how the concept of introspective documentarianism underpins Otis' work of building a personal identity and creative voice around artistic truth and vulnerability, through rap and poetry. There's also talk of surviving and decrying racial capi

Ep. 126: Katie Ailes

Jan 19 2021 73 mins

In his first full interview as host of the series, Peter deGraft-Johnson (The Repeat Beat Poet) speaks to poet, producer, and academic Katie Ailes. They speak about Katie's recent PhD study on performance and authenticity in UK Spoken Word poetry, the critical discourse around poetry, and firmly refute the idea that the talented craftspeople emerging from the spoken word scene are

Ep.125: Stephen Lightbown (transcript available)

Jul 25 2020 67 mins

In his final episode as host of the series, David Turner talks to Stephen Lightbown about his debut poetry collection Only Air (Burning Eye Books), writing as a wheelchair user and his experience of attending online events during the UK Covid-19 lockdown. Stephen reads three poems. Download a full transcript of this conversation here: https://lunarpoetrypodcasts.files.wordpress.co

Ep.124 - Caleb Klaces & Jess Chandler (transcript available)

Apr 10 2020 57 mins

David Turner is in Walthamstow talking to Caleb Klaces and publisher Jess Chandler to talk about Caleb’s latest book, Fatherhood. This conversation was recorded before Covid-19 hit Britain so is refreshingly free from any virus chat. Fatherhood was published by Prototype Publishing in 2019 and was long listed for the Republic of Consciousness Prize and is Caleb’s debut novel.

Ep.123 - Vanessa Onwuemezi (transcript available)

Jan 13 2020 65 mins

David Turner is in Walthamstow, east London talking to Vanessa Onwuemezi. The pair discuss how Vanessa came to be pursuing a life in writing and how she judges the quality of her writing. This episode includes a short tribute to friend and poet Mishi 'Dulwich Hamlet' Morath who sadly passed away before Christmas. Download a full transcript of this conversation here: https://lunar