The Book Show and the Ptry Programme return to Saturday nights

The Book Show and The Poetry Programme return to Saturday nights This Saturday 16 January, two of RT Radio 1's popular arts programmes return to air. The Book Show (7pm) and The Poetry Programme (7.30pm) will bring listeners an hour of literary culture, in both nostalgically classic and startlingly modern veins.

The Book Show

Now in its third season, episode one of The Book Show will feature a show length profile interview with Booker Award winning writer, Julian Barnes (The Sense of an Ending, Metroland, Arthur & George).

Presenter Sinead Gleeson gets a rare insight into the writer's life during a visit to Julian Barnes' London home where they discuss his new novel on the composer Dmitiri Shostakovich, The Noise of Time.

Julian Barnes tells The Book Show: His (Dmitiri Shostakovich's) life was not straightforward; it was very difficult to be an artist under communism, as communism turned out to be. The novel is about the collision between art and power: who wins, and who loses and who coincides, and who is sly and ironic and what compromises have to be made.

Julian also demonstrates his electric typewriter (IBM 196C) and explains his writing process: ...it's what I mostly do my first drafts on. There's something about an electric typewriter that suits the way I think. I always thinks it's saying come on, come on, give me another word'.

The Book Show is a New Normal Culture production for RT Radio 1. Season 3, Episode 1 of The Book Show is on RT Radio 1 this Saturday 16 January at 7pm.

The Poetry Programme

In the first programme of a new series of The Poetry Programme, Sarah Clancy tells presenter Rick O'Shea about powerful poems which have become popular through being shared on social media as poets have responded to issues such as the migrant crisis, racism and terrorism.

Also in episode one, Donegal-born poet Matthew Sweeney talks about his new collection, Inquisition Lane.

His poems have been described by Ruth Padel as existential Kafkaesque parables, tragi-comic, compassionate, surreal, dryly wistful, irrepressibly curious, lonely as Giacometti sculptures, full of sinister images.

The Poetry Programme is a Rockfinch production for RT Radio 1. Season 2, Episode 1 of The Poetry Programme is on RT Radio 1 this Saturday at 7.30pm.

ENDS

For further information:

Sheena Madden

Press Officer, RT Radio

E: sheena.madden@rte.ie / T: 01 208 2452 / M: 087 245 8046

LINK:	http://www.rte.ie/about/en/press-office/press-releases/2016/0115/76039...
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