IIn the Poetry Programme on Sunday 12th December, poets Vincent Woods and Chandrika Narayanan-Mohan join Olivia O'Leary to recommend poetry books to buy for Christmas.

The recommendations are:

To Star the Dark by Doireann Ní Ghríofa (Dedalus Press). And we hear a reading by Doireann of her poem While Bleeding from an archive episode of the Poetry Programme.

Collected Poems of Louis MacNeice (Faber) and Vincent reads an extract from Autumn Journal.

My Name Is by Polina Cosgrave (Dedalus Press), with a reading by Polina of her poem Surnames.

Liberty Hall by Michael O’Loughlin (New Island Books), with a reading by Michael of an extract from the title poem.

Gold Light Shining by Bebe Ashley (Banshee Press), with a reading by Bebe of the poem Like the washing machine on spin cycle.

A book of essays, Autumn Skies, Writers on Poems by Derek Mahon (The Gallery Press), and we hear an archive recording of Derek Mahon reading his poem Kinsale, from Open Air (Selected Poems 1960-2005) issued by Claddagh Records.

Pathogens Love a Patsy, by Rita Ann Higgins (Salmon Poetry), and Vincent reads from her poem I must wash down the bannister.

The Yak Dilemma by Supriya Kaur Dhaliwal (Makina Books), and Chandrika reads the poem Hotel Poem, Fatih, Istanbul.

Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin’s Collected Poems (The Gallery Press), with a reading of Key-ring.

Moya Cannon's Collected Poems (Carcanet), with a reading of Hills.

The anthologies Empty House, (Doire Press), New Poetries VIII (Carcanet), Staying Human (Bloodaxe), and Local Wonders (Dedalus Press), which all featured on the Poetry Programme in 2021, are mentioned. Chandrika recommends a new anthology, Queering the Green: Post-2000 Queer Poetry (Lifeboat Press) and reads one of her own contributions to the book, Stargazing with my Mother.

Also mentioned are:

The journals Cyphers, Poetry Ireland Review, The Stinging Fly, Irish Pages, Banshee, Tolka.

Romantic-Era Irish Women Poets in English (Cork University Press), edited by Stephen Behrendt

A History of Irish Women’s Poetry (Cambridge University Press), edited by Ailbhe Darcy and David Wheatley

Irish Women Poets Rediscovered (Cork University Press), edited by Maria Johnston and Connor Linnie.

Victoria Kennefick’s debut collection Eat Or We Both Starve (Carcanet)

The Examined Life by James Harpur (Two Rivers Press)

Auguries of a Minor God by Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe (Faber)

The Poetry Programme is a Rockfinch production for RTÉ.