Commonwealth Poetry Podcast

About Commonwealth Poetry Podcast

Poetry from around the world! A fortnightly celebration of Poetry and The Commonwealth - where award winning podcaster Gyles Brandreth and his daughter Aphra visit each of the 56 countries of the Commonwealth, meeting poets, performers and people who love poetry and discovering new poems each episode.

Publisher

Gyles Brandreth & Aphra Brandreth

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

23 May 2022

Latest episode

16 Mar 2025

Latest episodes

72 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   16 Mar 2025

   A Commonwealth Farewell with Baroness Scotland

   In this special final episode of the Commonwealth Poetry Podcast, Gyles and Aphra Brandreth are joined by Baroness Patricia Scotland, the outgoing Commonwealth Secretary-General. As they reflect on nearly 70 episodes celebrating the poetry, culture, and voices of the Commonwealth, Baroness Scotland shares her insights on the power of the Commonwealth and the enduring strength of poetry. Featuring Maya Angelou’s Still I Rise and Psalm 23, this episode marks the end of an extraordinary journey—...

2. 

   2 Mar 2025

   Next stop Nauru with Gem Dowiyogo

   This week, Gyles and Aphra are heading to Nauru, the smallest country in the Commonwealth, to explore its culture, history, and poetry. They’re joined by the multi-talented Gem Dowiyogo, an artist, singer, and passionate advocate for Nauruan youth and heritage. Gem shares her journey of reconnecting with her roots and keeping Nauru’s stories alive through art and song. This episode features Soon Enough by Maura Eidabugi Thoma, a powerful poem about the impact of phosphate mining on the countr...

3. 

   19 Jan 2025

   Next Stop: Tonga with Anna Jane Lagi

   In this fortnight’s episode join Gyles and Aphra Brandreth as they head to Tonga to chat with young poet Anna Jane Lagi. Anna’s poetry tackles everything from cultural identity to big issues like brain drain, domestic violence, and mental health. She shares her personal journey as a young Tongan woman and how she’s shaping her own culture through her art. Poems this episode include: Send my love; Go and Come Back: and I was young once too, all by Anna Jane Lagi.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

12 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

29 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 52 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

71

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

85

Contact Commonwealth Poetry Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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