Ian McMillan welcomes poetry about fathers, songs celebrating the things that fall out of books, and a poetic investigation into the women who were labelled witches, with guests Alison Binney, Boo Hewerdine, Yvonne Lyon, and Fiona Benson.

In this deeply moving episode, Ingrid and Lesley explore the profound emotional landscape of decluttering through the eyes of poet Alison Binney. Discover how she transformed the overwhelming task of clearing her father’s house into a collection of beautiful, reflective poetry that captures both the pain and beauty of letting go.

Poetry review – THE OPPOSITE OF SWEDISH DEATH CLEANING:

 Mat Riches enjoys Alison Binney’s deft handling and close examination of familiar subjects

A typically varied and kinetic set of freshly-published verbiage brought to us as ever by Mab Jones. London’s Imogen Cassels gets us started, Cambridge’s Alison Binney continues, and Welsh man of letters Dai Smith – with his debut poetry collection aged 80! – plus a 50-poet river-themed anthology see us home.

Introducing everyone on the Writer in Residence shortlist for 2026.

First in our ‘Meet the Shortlist’ series is poet, teacher and lecturer Alison Binney, who is shortlisted for her debut poetry collection The Opposite of Swedish Death Cleaning (Seren, 2025)

Breaking a poem

Debbie Taylor talks to Alison Binney about why line breaks are so important in a poem, and why it mattered so much when the wrong version of her winning poem was published in Mslexia.