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Sports Writing

The world of writing about sports. On Ian McMillan's team are Frank Skinner, Zaffar Kunial, Rob Drummond and Joseph Bond.

This week the cabaret of the word heads to the playing field to examine the language of sports writing. Playing for Ian McMillan's team are the T.S.Eliot nominated poet Zaffar Kunial who has just published a pamphlet of poems on cricket, Frank Skinner, whose 'Fantasy Football League' set the tone for sports coverage in the 90's, and we'll hear another short form audio piece recorded as part of the 'New Creatives' Scheme; Joseph Bond's creative documentary 'All Ball'. Verb regular Rob Drummond returns with an analysis of the lexicon of sports commentators

Presenter: Ian McMillan
Producer: Cecile Wright

Available now

50 minutes

Last on

Fri 6 Dec 2019 22:00

Zaffar Kunial

Zaffar Kunial

Zaffar Kunial鈥檚 debut collection 鈥楿s鈥� (Faber) was shortlisted for the T.S Eliot prize. He has just published a pamphlet of Cricket poems; 鈥楽ix鈥� is inspired by his time as poet in residence at the Oval Cricket ground. As a youth, Zaffar was a cricket player, and it was only later that he found writing and poetry. For Zaffar, these cricket poems are an attempt to link both of these parts of his life together - 鈥榯he inarticulate self who was very instinctive, with his self-conscious literary persona鈥�. Six is published by Faber.

Joseph Bond

Joseph Bond

Joseph Bond is part of the New Creatives scheme run by 成人快手 Arts and Arts Council England to develop new talent. Joseph has created 鈥楢ll Ball: The Whole of London Has Your Back鈥�, a creative, sound rich documentary that celebrates the rhythms and language of basketball, and aims to use the sport to start larger conversations around public space and representation. Joseph is a basketball coach and a passionate advocate of the psychological, physical and community benefits of the basketball. All Ball will be played in full in the 成人快手 Radio 3 slot 鈥楤etween the Ears鈥� in January, and more information about New Creatives can be found here.

Rob Drummond

Rob Drummond

Verb regular Rob Drummond guides us through the interesting syntax of sports commentary. As an art that is live, unpredictable and under pressure, it can lend itself to clich茅 and garbled language 鈥� or surprising beauty. Rob also notes how sporting terminology has permeated our language in ways we might not have noticed, and explains the little-known tense used by many commentators. 聽

Frank Skinner

Frank Skinner
As the presenter of Fantasy Football League and lyricist of 鈥楾hree Lions鈥�, Frank Skinner became famous for his love of sport. Frank celebrates the passionate language that sport inspires and makes the case for Football chants as being a kind of folk music or communal poetry. The link between sports and writing came early for Frank Skinner, as a child he remembers Muhammad Ali as being both a sportsman and a poet. He also champions the writing of David Foster Wallace on tennis, and explains why 鈥楥ome on鈥� might be the most useful two words for a football fan. Frank will be performing 鈥楽howbiz in London in from January 13th 2020

Broadcast

  • Fri 6 Dec 2019 22:00

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