91Èȱ¬

The poet Daljit Nagra revisits the 91Èȱ¬'s poetry archive and selects The Cultural Frontline - Roger Robinson: Finding Paradise in Poetry. Presented by Tina Daheley. And Daljit reads from his Poetry Extra Book of the Month: What the Earth Seemed to Say by the American poet Marie Howe. A collection published in Britain for the first time.

What does paradise mean to you? The British Trinidadian poet, writer, activist and musician Roger Robinson shares his collection A Portable Paradise. He tells presenter Tina Daheley why his work was framed through the lens of slavery, the tragedy of London’s Grenfell Tower fire disaster and the premature birth of his son and how he wants his poems to inspire people to practise more empathy.

We meet the man giving a voice to the Rohingya people through poetry. The poet Mayyu Ali on how he’s telling the story of his community amidst turmoil, tragedy and trauma. Plus has a book, a song or a poem ever changed the way you see the world? The acclaimed novellist Ha Jin reflects on the work of an icon of Chinese literature, the romantic poet Li Bai.

Presented by Tina Daheley

Produced by Mugabi Turya

First broadcast on the 91Èȱ¬ World Service in February 2020.