Arts

All About Sound

by The British Library

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Latest episodes

Truth with Vanessa Kisuule

March 27, 2023 · 38 min

Why is poetry such a powerful lens for exploring truth? From personal truths to shedding light on topics society would rather overlook, performed poetry in particular, has a special ability to communicate experiences and emotions in…
Shami Chakrabarti on Protest

July 18, 2022 · 42 min

When did you last take part in a protest? Perhaps you signed a petition; joined a debate on social media; wrote to your MP or read an impassioned poem. In this episode Lemn is joined by Shami Chakrabarti to examine how campaigners have…
Monica Ali on Love

July 11, 2022 · 36 min

From stories about star-crossed lovers to heartfelt poetry, we’re enamoured with love itself. But how do we capture what love feels like in language? Novelist Monica Ali joins Lemn to explore affairs of the heart through the British…
Jonathan Nunn on Food

July 4, 2022 · 35 min

Lemn is tucking in the British Library Sound Archive with food writer Jonathan Nunn. Jonathan edits the food newsletter Vittles, and has written for various publications including the Guardian and Eater. Together, they’re exploring the…
Amy Liptrot on the Sea

June 27, 2022 · 29 min

Where would our language be without the sea? Aground, adrift, the wind taken from our sails. In today’s episode, Lemn is diving beneath the surface into the British Library Sound Archive (see full credits below) to hear how language, on…

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Inua Ellams on Migration

June 20, 2022 · 34 min

When we migrate, can language help us feel at home? And how can words make us feel unwelcome? How does migration affect the ways we communicate and express ourselves in writing, poetry, performance? In this episode, Lemn is joined by…
Sophie Willan on Home

June 13, 2022 · 35 min

Which sounds transport you home? Lemn is joined by BAFTA award-winning writer, actor, comedian and creator of the BBC’s Alma’s Not Normal, Sophie Willan, to ask this question. Together, they listen to stand-out recordings from the British…
Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris on Nature

June 6, 2022 · 38 min

Are we listening hard enough to the sounds of nature? Collaborators Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris join Lemn to ask this question. With the help of the British Library sound archive, (see credits below) they’re summoning back the lost…
Kae Tempest on Performance

May 29, 2022 · 36 min

Poet, playwright, rapper and activist Kae Tempest joins Lemn Sissay to discuss the power of live performance. Inspired by recordings in the British Library Sound Archive (see below for a full list) their conversation explores why Kae…
Introducing All About Sound

May 26, 2022 · 2 min

Welcome to the new series from the British Library hosted by Lemn Sissay and featuring Kae Tempest, Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris, Monica Ali, Shami Chakrabarti, Jonathan Nunn, Amy Liptrot, Sophie Willan and Inua Ellams. Subscribe…

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About the show

What does love sound like? Which phrases transport us home? What are the sounds that matter to you? From a chorus of seals recorded under arctic ice to speeches that have saved lives, settle in to explore the depths of the British Library sound collection, with author and poet Lemn Sissay and some very special wordsmiths. Together they will discover how language, voice and sound has shaped us, our world and our identities. Press play on a world of sound. Unlocking Our Sound Heritage is a UK-wide project, made possible by the National Heritage Lottery Fund, that will help save the nation’s sounds and open them up to everyone. A Pixiu production.