Is this how John Keats would have sounded reading his great sonnet Bright Star? Dr Ranjan Sen has a better idea than most. A scholar specialising in phonology and phonetics at the University of Sheffield, Ranjan researched how English was spoken in the early 19th century (not least ----more----by a London Cockney) for the cyber-resurrection of John Keats organised by Oxford's Institute of Digital Archaelogy in 2021.  Read Bright Star here. The full conversation will be posted in the coming days. For now, listen to this trailer in which Ranjan reads Bright Star as he believes Keats would have. Enormous thanks to Ranjan.  Listen to James Kidd read and discuss Bright Star here.

In the second part of our conversation with Fiona Sampson, who chaired 2022's Keats-Shelley and Young Romantics Prizes, we discuss the joys and the challenges of reading Shelley, Keats and the Romantics in general in 2023. ----more---- Read 2022's Keats-Shelley Prize shortlists Read 2022's Young Romantics Prize shortlists Fiona also continues her discussion of her favourite Shelley poem Hymn to Intellectual Beauty and how it inspired her new book, Starlight Wood. She ends by revisiting her highly-praised biography of Mary Shelley.  Read more about Fiona Sampson here. Buy a copy of Starlight Wood here.

The winner of 2022's Keats-Shelley Poetry Prize is 'December Moth outside a care-home window' by Susan Holland.  Fiona Sampson writes: ‘This poem is full of linguistic relish and brilliant imagery, with some really exceptional phrase-making including the last line’s ‘glowing impassable threshold.’ Intense, almost forensic observation creates a rich study of will and intention.’ Susan lives on Kintyre, where she wrote the poem. She kindly agreed to to read the poem down the phone, which I hope only adds to its poignancy and power.  Read 2022's Keats-Shelley Prize shortlists Read 2022's Young Romantics Prize shortlists Susbscribe to 

Listen to an audio version of Fiona Sampson announcing the winners of 2022's Keats-Shelley and Young Romantics Prizes.----more---- Enormous thanks to Fiona for all her work - and for recording the announcement while recovering from Covid.  Read 2022's Keats-Shelley Prize shortlists Read 2022's Young Romantics Prize shortlists  

Our guest on this episode of the Keats-Shelley Podcast is the poet, biographer and critic Fiona Sampson - who is also Chair of 2022's Keats-Shelley and Young Romantics Prizes.  Read 2022's Keats-Shelley Prize shortlists Read 2022's Young Romantics Prize shortlists Our conversation begins with Fiona reading her favourite Shelley poem, Hymn to Intellectual Beauty - which inspired the title of Fiona's new book, Starlight Wood. This forms the basis of our discussion, which roams freely to ponder issues including: the importance of reading aloud; what is 'Intellectual Beauty'; and what does it mean for an atheist like Shelley to write a hymn? Fiona Sampson the poet unravels the sound patterns of Shelley's verse and compares the 'Hymn' to its sister-poem, Mont Blanc. Fiona Sampson the biographer tells the story of the poem's composition and the infamous summer without a summer of 1816, which also inspired Mary Shelley to begin Frankenstein.  Part 2 of the conversation will follow. Read more about Fiona Sampson here. Buy a copy of Starlight Wood here.

To mark the bicentenary of Percy Bysshe Shelley's death on 8th July 1822, Fiona Sampson reads her favourite Shelley poem: Hymn to Intellectual Beauty.  Read Hymn to Intellectual Beauty here. Fiona is an acclaimed poet, biographer of Mary Shelley and, last but not least, Chair of 2022's Keats-Shelley Prize. Read more about Fiona Sampson at the Keats-Shelley Prize page. A phrase from Hymn to Intellectual Beauty inspired the title of Fiona's new book, Starlight Wood, which follows in the footsteps of several Romantic artists, writers and poets (including Shelley) across the 19th century countryside. Find out more about Fiona Sampson's Starlight Wood. We will post Fiona's discussion of the poem in the coming weeks.

At the end of 2020, the Keats-Shelley Podcast spoke to Erica Jong, the bestselling novelist, feminist icon and poet. In fact Erica was a poet before she was a novelist, publishing two poetry volumes making her name with 1973's Fear of Flying. While fiction has dominated her literay output, she has continued to release poetry throughout her 50 year career.  Indeed, the inspiration for our own conversation was a poem she wrote in 1975: 'Dear Keats', which we found while researching John Keats' epitaph 'Here lies one whose name was writ in water' during 2021's Keats-Shelley Prizes (Erica's poem quotes the line for her own purposes).  Part of the interview has already appeared: Erica offered some writing advice to our Young Romantics.  We are sending the full audio version to Friends of the Keats-Shelley Memorial Association before releasing to the general podcast public later in 2022.  You can learn more about Erica Jong at www.ericajong.com The Keats-Shelley Podcast is hosted by James Kidd. The music is 'Androids Always Sleep' By Chris Zabriskie. Visit http://chriszabriskie.com/ For more about 2022's Keats-Shelley and Young Romantics Prizes visit: Young Romantics Prize 2022 Keats-Shelley Prize 2022  You can support the Keats-Shelley House by Becoming a Friend. Follow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramSubscribe to us on YouTube

2022's Keats-Shelley and Young Romantics Prizes are open. Our poetry theme this year is Elegy - to mark the bicentenary of Percy Bysshe Shelley's death in 1822, and also the composition of Adonais, his elegy for John Keats, the year before.  To mark the launch of the Prizes, we remixed Mick Jagger's recitation of Adonais at Hyde Park in 1969 with our own lovely podcast theme music: ‘Androids Always Escape’ by Chris Zabriskie. Visit http://chriszabriskie.com/ Most of the effects are attained from looping or sampling. Jagger's own voice. We hope he - and more to the point Shelley - approves.  Listen here or watch our trailer for the Prizes at either of the Prize pages on our website. Young Romantics Prize 2022 Keats-Shelley Prize 2022  You can support the Keats-Shelley House by Becoming a Friend. Follow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramSubscribe to us on YouTube Learn more about the Keats-Shelley House and our KeatsShelley200 Bicentenary programme.  

The winning poem of 2021's Keats-Shelley Poetry Prize is 'in the kelp forest' by Katrina Naomi, read here by our Poetry Judge Deryn Rees-Jones.  Click here for more about Katrina and 2021's Keats-Shelley Prize. ----more---- Subscribe to the Keats-Shelley Podcast for all new episodes or Follow us on Spotify. You can support the Keats-Shelley House by Becoming a Friend. Follow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramSubscribe to us on YouTube Learn more about the Keats-Shelley House and our KeatsShelley200 Bicentenary programme.

The winning poem of 2021's Young Romantics Poetry Prize is 'A Craftsman's Tale' by Eustacia Feng, read here by our Poetry Judge Will Kemp.  Click here for more about Eustacia and 2021's Young Romantics Prize. ----more---- Subscribe to the Keats-Shelley Podcast for all new episodes or Follow us on Spotify. You can support the Keats-Shelley House by Becoming a Friend. Follow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramSubscribe to us on YouTube Learn more about the Keats-Shelley House and our KeatsShelley200 Bicentenary programme.

On 15th July 1821, 19-year-old Maria Cotterell died in Naples of consumption. Her name may well have been forgotten if she hadn't sailed to Italy on the Maria Crowther, alongside 24-year-old John Keats. In this episode, we tell Maria's story - including new discoveries about her death, her brief encounter with Keats and her treatment by posterity. ----more---- Subscribe to the Keats-Shelley Podcast or Follow us on Spotify. You can read a fuller version of this episode in the latest edition of the Keats-Shelley Review. You can support the Keats-Shelley House by Becoming a Friend. This podcast was written and presented by James Kidd. The K-S Podcast theme tune is ‘Androids Always Escape’ by Chris Zabriskie. Visit http://chriszabriskie.com/ Follow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramSubscribe to us on YouTube

We talk to Turner Prize-winning artist Mark Wallinger about his life and career - and more specifically, his love of John Keats. The inspiration for our conversation was Mark’s monumental 2018 work Writ in Water, which commemorated the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta. ----more---- Subscribe to the Keats-Shelley Podcast or Follow us on Spotify. But Mark also discussed his broader love of literature (above all James Joyce), his wonder at Ode to a Nightingale, the challenges of being an artist (not least during Covid).Mark also offers advice to young artists, asks why no one sees UFOs anymore, and considers the portrayal of the art world in movies. He even reads an original poem - stay tuned to the very end.  Read about 2021's Keats-Shelley Prize. Read about 2021's Young Romantics Prize. Links Read more about Mark Wallinger. Writ in Water National Trust press release and video BBC video including aerial film Article on Situations Art Fund Blog article Art Society Feature Sinema Amnesia Guardian article about Sinema Amnesia 2010 Video about Sinema Amnesia 2012 in Maidstone You can support the Keats-Shelley House by Becoming a Friend. This podcast was written and presented by James Kidd. The KS Podcast theme tune is ‘Androids Always Escape’ by Chris Zabriskie. Visit http://chriszabriskie.com/ Follow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramSubscribe to us on YouTube Learn more about the Keats-Shelley House and our KeatsShelley200 Bicentenary programme.  

In this episode of our 'Writ in Water' series, the Keats-Shelley Prize Podcast talks to Nicholas Stanley-Price about the 300-year history of the Non-Catholic Cemetery in Rome.----more---- Read about 2021’s Keats-Shelley Prize. Read about 2021’s Young Romantics Prize. For poetry lovers, this is the place where both John Keats and PB Shelley are buried, not far from their friends Joseph Severn and Edward Trelawny, and also Shelley's 3-year-old son, William.  But the Cemetery's story is far longer and broader than that of these Romantic graves, which is why Nicholas is the perfect guide to steer us from its origins in Testaccio to its modern history in 21st century Rome, from Keats' funeral to the vexed question of what to call the Protestant/Non-Catholic/Acattolico Cemetery/Cimitero. After a career which included high level posts at UNESCO, ICCROM (International Conservation Organization, Rome) and the Getty Conservation Institute in Los Angeles, Nicholas settled in Rome and joined the Cemetery's Advisory Committee. He has written two books about its 300-year history: The Non-Catholic Cemetery in Rome and The Graves in Rome of Keats and Shelley.  We talked on the bicentenary of Keats' funeral on 26th February 1821. I began by asking Nicholas about another bicentenary commemoration: the memorial service that marked the 200th anniversary of Keats' death, which took place at the Cemetery only a few days earlier. We rewound rapidly to explore the history of Testaccio in general and the Cemetery in particular before focussing on John Keats himself. Nicholas narrated the events of Keats' funeral, before tracing the grave's slow rise in prominence as a place of pilgrimage. Having noted some famous early visitors - Charles Dickens, George Eliot and Henry James - we conclude by outlining the challenges facing the Cemetery in 2021 - Covid, conservation and how to balance its purpose as an active place of burial with its attractions as a tourist site.  Please support the Non-Catholic Cemetery by becoming a Friend, or by buying Nicholas's books available only via their website.  Subscribe to the podcast for all new episodes.   Follow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramSubscribe to us on YouTube This podcast was written and presented by James Kidd. The KS Podcast theme tune is ‘Androids Always Escape’ by Chris Zabriskie. Visit http://chriszabriskie.com/

How did John Keats influence Christina Rossetti and the Pre-Raphaelites? In this episode of our Writ in Water series inspired by John Keats’ epitaph – ‘Here lies one whose name was writ in water’ – we talk to Dr Dinah Roe about Christina Rossetti, her sonnet 'On Keats' - and more widely about how Keats influenced the Pre-Raphaelite artists. This includes her brothers, Dante Gabriel and William Michael, fighting over who was better - Keats or Shelley? ----more---- Subscribe to the podcast for all new episodes.     This episode was was recorded on 23rd February 2021, the bicentenary of Keats' death in Rome. Click here for more on Dinah Roe. Listen to Dinah read and discuss Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s own ‘Writ in Water’ sonnet, ‘John Keats’  Read about 2021’s Keats-Shelley Prize. Read about 2021’s Young Romantics Prize Texts. ‘On Keats’ by Christina Rossetti This podcast was written and presented by James Kidd. The KS Podcast theme tune is ‘Androids Always Escape’ by Chris Zabriskie. Visit http://chriszabriskie.com/ Follow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramSubscribe to us on YouTube

Dinah Roe reads two poems by Dante Gabriel Rossetti quoting John Keats’ epitaph, ’Here lies on whose name was writ in water.’ Followed by poetry analysis and some chat about Keats’ Cockney accent.

On 23rd February 2021, the 200th anniversary of John Keats' death in Rome, the Keats-Shelley Prize Podcast recorded a conversation with Dr Dinah Roe about Christina Rossetti's sonnet 'On Keats', which quotes his epitaph 'Here lies one whose name was writ in water'.----more---- We finished around 10.30pm and to mark the occasion read two poems in Keats' honour: 'This living hand now warm and capable' and 'Where be ye going you Devon maid'. Read about 2021’s Keats-Shelley Prize. Read about 2021’s Young Romantics Prize. Visit the Keats-Shelley Blog for more Prize Resources, including poems, articles and podcasts. Texts. 'This living hand now warm and capable' by John Keats 'Where be ye going you Devon maid' by John Keats Subscribe to the podcast for all new episodes.   Follow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramSubscribe to us on YouTube This podcast was written and presented by James Kidd. The KS Podcast theme tune is ‘Androids Always Escape’ by Chris Zabriskie. Visit http://chriszabriskie.com/

What does it mean to writ(e) in water? And even more, what does it mean to write 'writ in water' on stone? Or is that in stone? These are all questions raised by John Keats' epitaph, 'Here lies one whose name was writ in water'. Which is why the Keats-Shelley Podcast called Adam Smyth, Professor of English Literature at Balliol College, Oxford, and an expert in Material Texts: or the study of people writing with weird things on weird surfaces.----more---- Subscribe to the Keats-Shelley Podcast or Follow us on Spotify. We began by asking Adam to describe what a 'material text' might be, and what it means to study them. As well as telling us about poems written in glass and invsible ink (lemon juice to you and me), he cast an eye over Keats' epitaph, and pondered the fine distinction between writing 'in water' and 'on water'.  Read about 2021’s Keats-Shelley Prize. Read about 2021’s Young Romantics Prize. Visit the Keats-Shelley Blog for more Prize Resources, including poems, articles and podcasts. Texts. John Keats, Letter to George and Georgiana Keats, 28th June 1818 (scroll down).  John Donne, A Valediction of My Name in the Window. Abraham Cowley, Written in Lemon Juice.  William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: Plate 14. Thomas Hardy, During Wind and Rain.  Fans of Tom Philips' A Humument: stay tuned to the very end of the podcast for a little lighthearted homage.  Subscribe to the podcast for all new episodes.   Follow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramSubscribe to us on YouTube This podcast was written and presented by James Kidd. The KS Podcast theme tune is ‘Androids Always Escape’ by Chris Zabriskie. Visit http://chriszabriskie.com/

At the end of 2020, James Kidd of the Keats-Shelley Podcast talked to bestselling novelist Erica Jong about her life-long love of John Keats.  During the conversation, which will be posted soon, we asked what advice she would give writers entering our Young Romantics Poetry and Essay competitions.  A small warning: there is one mild expletive (in reference to bad drafts) near the start.  For more information visit our Young Romantics page.----more---- For more information about Erica visit ericajong.com Follow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramSubscribe to us on YouTube This podcast was written and presented by James Kidd. The KS Podcast theme tune is ‘Androids Always Escape’ by Chris Zabriskie. Visit http://chriszabriskie.com/  

John Keats writing his last poem 'Bright star' on the Maria Crowther is one of the great myths of the poet's tragic last months. Inspired by retracing Keats' Final Journey on Google Earth, we ask: what if were true? How might it change our reading of one of his greatest sonnets? As part of our limbering up, we learned the poem by heart and recorded the results... ----more---- Listeners of a sensitive disposition should beware. There is a reference and a reading of Aerosmith.  Click for info: 2021 Keats-Shelley Prize. Click for info: 2021 Young Romantics Prize.  To learn more about the Keats-Shelley House and our KeatsShelley200 Bicentenary programme, visit: https://ksh.roma.it You can support the Keats-Shelley House by becoming a Friend: https://keats-shelley.org/support/friends Follow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramSubscribe to us on YouTube This podcast was written and presented by James Kidd. The KS Podcast theme tune is ‘Androids Always Escape’ by Chris Zabriskie. Visit http://chriszabriskie.com/  

A reading and discussion of John Keats‘ ‘In drear nighted December‘