Poems on the Underground Recordings

Poems on the Underground Celebrating Windrush Day

Listen to all the Windrush Day Recordings

We celebrate Windrush Day with a selection of Poems by Kwame Dawes, Jean Binta Breeze, Lemn Sissay, Roger Robinson, James Berry, Lorna Goodison, Valerie Bloom, Louise Bennett, Benjamin Zephaniah, Andrew Salkey, Grace Nichols and Derek Walcottrecorded for Poems on the Underground by Kwame Dawes, Lemn Sissay, Imtiaz Dharker, James Berry, Valerie Bloom, Nii Ayikwei Parkes, Niall Campbell, Jason Salkey and Marjorie Lotfi

from We Refugees We can all be refugees Sometimes it only takes a day, Sometimes it only takes a handshake Or a paper that is signed. We all came from refugees Nobody simply just appeared, Nobody’s here without a struggle, And why should we live in fear Of the weather or the troubles? We all came here from somewhere Benjamin Zephaniah from We Refugees Reprinted by permission of Penguin Books Limited from Wicked World (Puffin, 2000).

We Refugees by Benjamin Zephaniah read by Nii Ayikwei Parkes

Poems on the Underground Celebrating Black History Month

We are delighted to mark Black History Month with a selection of recordings made for Poems on the Underground by Poets including Kwame Dawes, Rita Dove, Nick Makoha, Lemn Sissay, Valerie Bloom, Karen McCarthy Woolf, Niyi Osundare, Imtiaz Dharker and Nii Ayikwei Parkes

You can find our Black History Month Leaflet here

Listen to all the Black History Month Recordings

‘Sumer is icumen in’ Sumer is icumen in Loud sing cuckoo! Groweth seed and bloweth mead And springeth the wood now, Sing cuckoo! Ewe bleateth after lamb, Cow loweth after calf, Bullock starteth, buck farteth, Merry sing cuckoo! Cuckoo, cuckoo! Well singest thou cuckoo, Nor cease thou never now! Sing cuckoo now, sing cuckoo! Sing cuckoo, sing cuckoo now! Anon (13th century) Music manuscript by permission of The British Library Board, BL Harley 978f.1.1v

Sumer is Icumen In , Anon read by Nii Ayikwei Parkes

Poems on the Underground recordings old and new including 72 poems recorded in 1994 for our Cassell audiobook , a performance of Carnival of the Animals recorded live at St John’s Smith Square in 1993, and recent recordings by Poets for World Poetry Day

Poems on the Underground Celebrating World Poetry Day 2025

We celebrate World Poetry Day with recordings by Poets Niyi Osundare, Valerie Bloom, Niall Campbell, Merle Collins, Dawn Sands, Cyril Wong, Ian Duhig, John Glenday, Helen Ivory, Kerry Shawn Keys, Marjorie Lotfi, Jason Salkey, Connie Bensley, Danielle Hope, Ruth Padel, Brian O’ Connor and Nick Makoha

Listen to all the World Poetry Day 2025 recordings

Poems on the Underground Celebrating World Poetry Day 2024

Poets Cyril Wong, Jo Clement, John Glenday, Helen Ivory, Ian Duhig, Paula Meehan, Kerry Shawn Keys, George Szirtes, John Hegley, Imtiaz Dharker, Maura Dooley, Valerie Bloom, Seni Seneviratne and Marjorie Lotfi reading favourite poems from Poems on the Underground