The Verb
Hosted by Ian McMillan · BBC Radio 4
4.6from 46 ratings
- 286
- Episodes
- 10
- Transcribed
- 46
- Ratings
- Monthly
- Cadence
- 2017
- First episode
About The Verb
Ian McMillan hosts Radio 4's cabaret of the word, featuring the best poetry, new writing and performance.
- Publisher
- BBC Radio 4
- Category
- society & culture
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 29 Sept 2017
- Latest episode
- 1 Nov 2026
Latest episodes
10 of 286 episodes have a transcript.
1 Nov 2026TRANSCRIPT
Poetry to warm your cockles
25 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
The Verb - where the poetry kettle is always on
11 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
Poems to earth you
Inside a recent episode
Poetry to warm your cockles
Published 1 Nov 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] Glisk meaning a brief glance or a glimmer or a catching of the light, something that his best-loved poems seemed to do. So let's hear a removal from Terry Street from one of his most popular collections, published in 1969. On a squeaking cart, they pushed the usual stuff. A mattress, bed-ends, cups, carpets, chairs, four paperback westerns. Two whistling youths in surplus U.S. Army battle jackets remove their sister's goods. Her husband follows, carrying on his shoulders the son whose missive we are glad to see removed, and pushing, of all things, a lawnmower. There is no grass in Terry Street. […]
Read the full transcript with a Pod Engine plan.
See plansWho has been a guest on The Verb
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
- John Agard
- Michael Symmons Roberts
- Edith Hall
- Graeme Richardson
- Julie Blake
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
- Apple Podcasts (US)
- 4.4 / 5
- 30 ratings
- Spotify
- 5.0 / 5
- 16 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 66 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
- Quality
- 94
- Social presence
- 0
- YouTube
- 0
- Engagement
- 95
Contact The Verb
- Guest appearances
- Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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Questions about The Verb
Who hosts The Verb?
Ian McMillan host the show. Published by BBC Radio 4.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes monthly, based on its RSS feed.
Does The Verb take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Where can I read transcripts?
10 of 286 episodes have a transcript on Pod Engine. Full transcripts are available with a Pod Engine plan.
Host of The Verb?
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