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When we think of Liberation Narratives we perhaps most often mean slave or revolution narratives but they can be profoundly personal expressions of freedom as well as stories of huge geopolitical or historical changes. Ian McMillan considers Liberation Narratives with American poet Carl Philips, poet, performer and singer Rommi Smith, poet Yomi Sode and folk singer-songwriter and activist Grace Petrie. Carl Philips' latest book 'Then the War', a collection of new and selected poems is an exploration of self discovery and the revolutionary power of tenderness and human connection. During a stint as poet in residence at Dove Cottage, Wordsworth's home in Grasmere, Rommi Smith sought new escapes in his sonnets. Yomi Sode's debut collection 'Manorism' is an examination of the lives of Black British men and boys and the liberating impact of having a voice. Grace Petrie's politically charged protest music challenges us to envisage and demand a kinder world than the one we live in.

Presenter: Ian McMillan
Producer: Cecile Wright