In this week's Poetry Programme on RTÉ Radio 1, Siobhán Campbell and Nessa O’Mahony, the co-editors of Eavan Boland: Inside History (Arlen House), join presenter Olivia O’Leary to talk about the ground-breaking role played by Eavan Boland in the poetry world.
Also, at a time when many people only learn about Greek and Roman gods from The Simpsons or superhero movies, they discuss the continuing importance of ancient myths for poets writing today.
Listen: Olivia O’Leary speaking with Nessa O’Mahony about Eavan Boland's influence:
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Nessa reads from her collection Her Father’s Daughter (Salmon Poetry) and a forthcoming anthology, which she is co-editing, of poetry by Irish, British, Australian and New Zealand poets in response to the 2,000th anniversary of Ovid's death, entitled Metamorphic: 21st century poets respond to Ovid (Recent Work Press). The results are sometimes surprising with one poet, for example, making connections between the myth of Narcissus and today’s penchant for taking selfies.
Siobhán reads from her 2017 collection Heat Signature (Seren Books), pondering why islanders don’t kiss hello. To end the show, Susannah Dickey reads her prose poem It’s easy to think someone’s beautiful once they are dead, from her pamphlet I had some very slight concerns (The Lifeboat).
The Poetry Programme, RTÉ Radio 1, Saturdays at 7.30pm
