An exciting new podcast series is a collection of short poems and stories from twelve writers living in Baghdad and Nottingham, offering a unique window into the lives of those in two distinct UNESCO Cities of Literature, featuring original writing from emerging and established artists, with an emphasis on under-represented voices.
The 12 podcast episodes have developed through online conversations, pairing the writers to reflect and explore themes that connect their pieces to create a series of duets:
City of the Richter Scale by poet, translator, essayist and academic Sadek R. Mohammed (Baghdad); Shock Waves by writer and performer Andy Barrett (Nottingham)
Palm Tree Orchard by Sijal Al-Rekabi, a poet with a PhD in Aquatic Microbiology from Reading (Baghdad); The Willows by writer, director and theatre-maker Michael Pinchbeck (Nottingham)
Baghdad: A Masterpiece of Helpless by Iraqi poet and journalist Mubeen Khishany (Baghdad):Hope is The Thing with Feathers by poet and theatre maker Leanne Moden (Nottingham)
Ishtar Makes Films in Baghdad by digital content maker with a master’s degree in computer science Budoor Al Abid (Baghdad);Hydra by Georgina Wilding, a poet and performer (Nottingham)
The Voices in my Head by Mina Ali Shareef, an educational content creator (Baghdad); Legend of the River Mumma by poet, artivist and self-described ‘Black Wellness Warrior’ Cara Thompson (Nottingham)
The Tigris Balcony by communication engineer Ali Muhammed (Baghdad); Like Betty by Mufaro Makubika, a playwright of African descent (Nottingham)
Release date: September 2022
Supported by the British Council Arts Digital Collaboration Fund.
