The Carrying Stream is a podcast for Scottish words and ideas. Hosted by Dr Paul Malgrati, the series offers long-form conversations with scholars, writers, poets, and artists working in and around Scotland. It is a space for criticism, idea-making, and the sharing of cutting-edge work in Scottish literature and culture. With room for Scots, Gaelic, and international voices, the podcast takes its name from Hamish Henderson’s idea of the “carrying stream”: the belief that cultural change emerges through common intellectual labour and the slow but deep sedimentation of voice and verse.
11. Cosmopolitan Scots: Translation, Craft, Resistance - with Colin Bramwell
This episode's guest is Colin Bramwell: the award-winning poet and translator, cosmopolitan and craftsman, writing in both Scots and English. Colin is the author of Fower Pessoas (Carcanet, 2025), which rendered Fernando Pessoa into Scots. More recently, he published his debut collection of poems, The Fetch (And Other Stories, 2026).
As we listen to Colin's poems and translations, we talk about the Scots language, Scottish culture, the need for international curiosity, questions of life, verse, and death, and of the power of poetry in withstanding the tide of tyranny. We also talk about other poets: Pessoa and Paz, Keats and MacDiarmid.
02:08 - Colin's uprbringing and journey into poetry and craft
13:25 - Writing poetry in Scots
23:40 - The politics of Scots and language learning in Scotland
30:30 - Colin's work in translation
45:00 - Fernando Pessoa's poems and paradoxes
53:50 - Doubleness. Scottishness and paradoxes in Colin's poetry
1:10:00 - Poetry, politics, and resistance
1:28:14 - Colin and John Keats
1:37:10 - Balancing life and work as an artist
4 Oct 2026
10. Highland Publishing: Neil Gunn, and Beyond - with David Graham and Kirsty Gunn
This episode's guests are publisher David Graham and writer Kirsty Gunn — the joint directors of North House Press, a new publishing house based in the Highlands.
We talk about David and Kirsty's love of Caithness and Sutherland, about pibroch music, about the place of the Highlands in the world of publishing, and about the novels of the great twentieth-century Highland writer Neil M. Gunn (1891-1973), three of which have just been re-edited by North House Press.
Overall, it’s a passionate conversation about some of our finest Highland books, about their shorelines, hillsides, and hardbacks.
00:02 - David and Kirsty's journey into reading, writing, and publishing
00:06 - David and Kirsty's partnership and love of Caithness and Sutherland
13:00 - Pibroch music and Kirsty's novel, "The Big Music"
17:25 - Setting up a publishing house in the Highlands
21:30 - Highlands, Lowlands and the Scottish publishing scene
28:00 - Publishing serious and challenging books in 2026
35:00 - Neil. M. Gunn: context, ideas, and North House Press's reprints
51:30 - Kirsty's literary relationship with Neil Gunn
59:00 - The future of North House Press
6 Sept 2026
9. Firth & Earth: The Scottish Eco-Poem — with Garry MacKenzie
This episode's guest is Garry MacKenzie — the award-winning, ecologically attuned poet and scholar, Fifer, Glaswegian, and translator from Gaelic. He is the author of Ben Dorain: A Conversation with a Mountain (Irish Pages, 2021) and, most recently, Firth (Irish Pages, 2026)
We talk about Scotland, the Firth of Forth, the planet, deep time, oysters, glaciers and deer. We also listen to Garry’s exquisite verse, and, in so doing, we touch on the mad poet’s dream of rendering the world into words. Overall, it is a hopeful conversation: a vindication of local insight, art and craft against the forces of global extraction.
02:30 - Writing about "the burning world"
07:20 - Garry's journey as a Scottish/Glaswegian eco-poet
20:10 - Poetry, ecology, spirituality and the non-human world
35:00 - Ben Dorain: Garry's experimental translation from 18th-century Gaelic
52:30 - Ecology and philosophy of translation
01:09:20 - Firth: Garry's latest collection about the Firth of Forth
01:16:50 - Glacier and Oysters
01:32:35 - Geology, History, and Revolution
01:41:00 - Scotland's eco-poetic scene
26 Jul 2026
8. Dundee Poetry: Past and Present - with Erin Farley and Taylor Dyson
This episode's guests are Dr Erin Farley, historian of Dundee literature and archivist at Dundee's Public Library, and Taylor Dyson, the award-winning Dundonian poet.
In the first part of the episode, Erin paints a broad and vivid picture of Dundee's literary history, from Reformation verse and the poetry of the jute industry and from William McGonagal to Mary Brooksbank, W.N. Herbert and Michael Marra. In the second half, Taylor reads from her own work and reflects on the past few years, which have seen her emerge as one of the most exciting new voices in Dundee and Scottish poetry. Together, these conversations explore how a distinctive literary culture is made and sustained, and the many rewards and challenges of nurturing a local, democratic writing scene.
Part 1 - Erin Farley (3:00-56:00)
03.22 - Introduction to Dundee Literature and Erin's work
07:04 - Dundee literature before the Industrial Revolution
14:02 - Dundee literature in the Industrial era
19:33 - Inequalities, politics, and literature in Victorian Dundee
33:29 - William McGonagall, Scotland's best worst poet
39:00 - Mary Brooksbank: Communist, Feminist, Poet.
46:40 - Dundee's contemporary poetry scene.
Part 2 - Taylor Dyson (56:15 - 1:40:00)
57:00 - Taylor's work and Dundee's literary tradition
1:02:50 - Taylor's poetic journey and relationship with Dundonian Scots
1:13:30 - Blether, Dundee's monthly poetry night in Scots
1:17:40 - Taylor's recent awards and works
1:22:20 - Contemporary challenges for Dundee and working-class poetry
1:31:40 - Poetry and Drama in Taylor's work
1:37:30 - Future projects of Taylor and Erin
31 May 2026
7. Auld Alliance and the Ideal of Friendship - with Clément Guézais
This episode's guest is Dr Clément Guézais, a French historian, lecturer at the University of Arras, and specialist of the Auld Alliance between Scotland and France.
We discuss the alliance itself - its origins, its history, and its legacy - as well as the ways in which French and Scots have imagined, understood and misunderstood one another across the centuries. At its heart, this is a discussion about the possibility of genuine friendship between nations, rather than merely a relationship of political convenience.
02:00 - Clément's journey as a scholar and into Scotland
07:30 - The origins of the Auld Alliance
16:00 - Why was the "Alliance" called "Auld"?
23:27 - The alliance and medieval notions of riendship
26:30 - The alliance and the Hundred Years' War
35:45 - The "Garde Ecossaise"
38:20 - Why the Auld Alliance came to an end
47:15 - How the French understood the Scots in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance
57:37 - The legacy of the Auld Alliance
01:07:00 - "Distance Unites": Clément's Franco-Scottish identity and his future works
18 Apr 2026
6. Writing Scotland in the Plural - with Robert Crawford
This episode’s guest is Robert Crawford, Emeritus Professor at the University of St Andrews and a distinguished poet.
We discuss his work, which since the 1980s has played an important role in reshaping our understanding of Scottish literature in more multilingual and multicultural terms. We also speak about his engagement with Robert Burns and T. S. Eliot, as well as his interests in fields as varied as philosophy, computing, and the Japanese haiku. The result is a wide-ranging conversation on literature, influence, and the many directions Scottish writing and scholaship can take.
02.20 - Robert's origin story as a scholar of Scottish and English Literatures
09.30 - Crawford vs TS Eliot on Scotland's literary tradition
15.00 - Scottish literature, multilingualism and pluralism
27.30 - Robert's most influential essay: 'Devolving English Literature' (1992)
42.00 - Robert's work as an anthologist of Scottish verse and prose
50.45 - Robert answers some of his critics
1.01.00 - Robert's biographies of Robert Burns and TS Eliot
1.20.00 - Robert's forthcoming book on the Japanese haiku
8 Mar 2026
5. Gaelic Revival: From Czechia to Gàidhealtachd - with Petra Johana Poncarová
This episode's guest is Dr Petra Johana Poncarová, a native speaker of Czech who has become a distinguished scholar of Gaelic literature and an emerging, award-winning poet in Gaelic.
We begin with Petra’s journey into the Gaelic language, before turning to her work on Derick Thomson and Rùraidh Erskine, two key figures of the twentieth-century Gaelic revival. We finish by talking about the present and future of Gaelic — and by listening to Petra’s brand new poems, written between Czechia and the Gàidhealtachd .
02.10 - Petra's journey into Gaelic and tips for Gaelic learners
13.30 - Derick Thomson: icon of the twentieth-century Gaelic revival
20.30 - Derick Thomson's work on the Ossian controversy
31.00 - History and legacy of the Gaelic magazine Gairm
36.15 - Derick Thomson's poetry (with extracts)
48.40 - Ruraidh Erskine of Mar: Gaelic firebrand and early Scottish nationalist
55.30 - Thomson, Erskine and Petra's ideas for the Gaelic revival
1.05.15 - Petra's poetry in Gaelic
1.19.45 - Petra's ongoing and forthcoming works
8 Feb 2026
4. Scottish Folksong and European Music - with Kirsteen McCue
This episode's guest is Kirsteen McCue, Professor of Scottish Literature and Song Culture at the University of Glasgow. We discuss the origins and history of Scottish folk music, and place particular emphasis on the Romantic era, when songs collected by figures such as Robert Burns became instrumental raw materials in the formation of modern music — from Haydn and Beethoven to the folk revival of the 1960s.
2.00 — Kirsteen's upbringing in one of Scotland's most distinguished musical families.
11.54 — Song collection in eighteenth-century Scotland (the example of George Thomson)
16.00 — The relationship between Robert Burns and Thomson
22.00 — The origins of Scottish folk music
28.00 — Scottish music and Enlightenment culture
34.50 — Musical Extract: 'O Poortith Cauld' arranged by Weber
38.00 — Scottish music and democratic culture
44.00 — Burns, Thomson, Haydn and Beethoven
54.00 — Musical Extract: "The Lovely Lass of Inverness", arranged by Beethoven
58.00 — The long-term influence of Scottish folk on Romantic and Modern music.
1.06.00 — From Beethoven to Bob Dylan
1.15.00 — Kirsteen's current and forthcoming research work.
1.22.00 — A final musical recommendation
31 Dec 2025
3. Robert Burns and Mental Health – with Moira Hansen
This episode's guest is Dr Moira Hansen, whose PhD research explores the life and mental health of Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet.
We talk about Moira’s work on Burns, including her argument that he may have experienced bipolar disorder, and how this might have shaped his life, his relationships, and some of his best-known works — including "Tam o’ Shanter". It’s a thoughtful conversation about literature, mental health, and how we read figures like Burns today.
01:30 – Moira's background and journey into Burns studies.
05:30 – Diagnosing an eighteenth-century poet.
18:40 – Impact of Burns's mental health on his personal, social and creative life.
28:10 – The Irvine episode: Burns's first depression?
40:10 – How Burns understood his own condition.
46:10 – Frances Dunlop: Burns's correspondent and confidante. 57:10 – A new reading of "Tam o' Shanter".
65:30 – Addressing recent controversies about Burns and gender.
74:20 – Moira's influence on Alan Cumming's recent adaptation of Burns for the stage.
77:39 – Moira's forthcoming research work.
31 Dec 2025
2. Scots Language and Scottish Worlds – with Billy Kay
This episode's guest is Billy Kay, the Scottish writer, broadcaster and lifelong advocate for the Scots language and the status of its speakers. Our conversation is, of course, in and about Scots, but we also journey further afield from the deep ties between Scotland and France to broader questions of Scotland's global identity.
03:30 – Billy Kay's upbringing as a Scots speaker and his inspiration for his best-selling book, The Mither Tongue.
11:47 – The linguistics and politics of Scots.
22:10 – Scots and social class.
35:17 – Billy Kay on his book, The Scottish World.
43:20 – The "Auld Alliance" and the wine trade.
53:09 – Billy Kay's view of the future and poetry reading.
31 Dec 2025
1. Gaelic in Translation and Poetic Transience – with Taylor Strickland
This episode's guest is Taylor Strickland: a talented poet from the US who has learned Scottish Gaelic and recently won several awards for his superb translations of the 18th-century Jacobite poet, Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair. In 2025, Taylor also published his debut poetry collection, Dwell Time with Tapsalteerie Press.
We cover a lot of ground in this conversation, from Taylor’s journey into Gaelic and his translation work, to his broader thinking about poetry — and his deep admiration for the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa.
03:40 – Taylor's (poetic) journey from America to Scotland
13:20 – Taylor's transient poems and his vision of poetry
23:25 – Translating Gaelic Poetry into English
28:50 – Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair
45:50 – Portugal and Pessoa
56:18 – Final thoughts on poetry, national identi(es) and Taylor's upcoming works.
31 Dec 2025
0. Welcome to The Carrying Stream
In this introductory episode, Dr Paul Malgrati presents his vision for The Carrying Stream and explains why he is launching a podcast devoted to Scottish words and ideas.
Episode 0 sets out the ethos of the project and the kind of long-form conversations the podcast aims to make space for.
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