Hello Friends, this episode has been a long time coming in a few ways. One, Toby Campion has been on my hit list for many many years so it was a delight to finally get him over to Margate. The last time we were on stage together was at the Royal Albert Hall (!) and this was just as magic. It has also been delayed in coming out because I've had an actual human baby so my podcast baby got put on hold. This has however inspired me to get professional help (for the podcast baby, not the human bab...

Hello friends!Our penultimate episode of series three brings to Margate the ultimate legend that is Laurie Bolger! It's impossible to listen to Laurie and not have a smile on your face so get your cheeks ready and dive on in. I celebrate having a brand new book out and Laurie clebrates having two brand new books out. I also share some big news that I can't remember if I've shared on the podcast before or not. We talk pubs, pyjamas, writing clubs, sisters, sunshine, flowers, online dating, sex...

A lovely time with a local legend! Brigitte was on my wishlist for Something Borrowed for a while when out of nowhere I got a voice note from her asking if she could come on because she reckoned she'd be good at it - It was meant to be! Also she was 100% correct, as not only our best-dressed guest of all time, but a wonderful mix of storytelling, song, punk, vulnerability, warmth and (ethical) fireworks. Featuring singalongs, univocalisms, travel tips and of course poems, it was an absolute t...

We're back baby - February's edition saw the wonderful Georgie Jones come to Margate! It was our first time meeting in person but you wouldn't know because it was a vibey vibey time from start to finish. We talk slams, online vs in person performances, trying to write a poem a day for a whole month and much much more. Poems cover topics such as Gym changing rooms, The entire universe, friendship breakups, refugees, the ocean and of course Margate, as well as maybe my favourite borrowed thing...

Happy New Year! I am single handedly extending the January blues by taking 6 weeks to edit this but i think we can all agree it is worth the wait. Raymond Antrobus is a poetry legend. It has been over a decade since we first shared a stage together and it has been a joy to see his work flourish since then, and an even bigger joy to find out that he had recently moved to Margate so we could snap him up for a very special edition of Something Borrowed Live. With a range of poems covering...

A mildly festive version of the podcast, in that I shoehorned Christmas into a few of my poems and Will made us delicious boozy hot chocolates while we recorded. I was having so much fun with this chat that it is the longest episode we ever recorded, before being ruthlessly trimmed down to just under an hour of pure gold. I share my epic Christmas poem containing 24 years of memories in one, we have a grown up story time with Mark reading from his new kids book, we talk about school visits,...

Surprise! We interrupt your monthly recordings for a bonus episode with the one and only Donna Ashworth - My reading of Donna's poem went viral on instagram which means I now have a new cult following of mostly American Yoga instructors, and quite frankly I am here for it. One of the many lovely things that have come out of this is me and Donna were messaging each other and despite Scotland to Margate being slightly too far for a live appearance (for now!) she kindly agreed to join me for a...

Hello friends, and welcome to possibly my favourite episode we've ever done! Gemma is a fantastic poet and a warm and wonderful human, and in this episode we cover the big three Ps, Palestine, Pegging and Postcodes, as well as so much more. This episode was recorded live in Margate and you could feel the magic in the room, so I really hope is translates to the recording. You can also watch the episode on youtube if you enjoy using your eyes as well as your ears, and follow Gemma on Instagram...

Hello Friends!  The something borrowed train continues to steam ahead and this month we have on board the fantastic Neelam Saradia-Brayley! This was such a gorgeous conversation to have at a time when the rain outside seemed to reflect a general sense of foreboding about the world in general, and yet there was light and warmth within! We covered weddings, funerals, wellies, dinosaurs and much much more - I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. You can find out Neelam's latest activities...

It's Harry and Chris! The Comedy-Rap-Jazz pioneers are reunited live on stage in front of a beautiful Margate audience. Chris shares a couple of absolute stunners, I go as old as possible for my Something Old, there is a glorious freestyle moment involving Robbie Williams, and even a spontaneous extra jazz song, something nobody has ever asked for in the history of the known universe and yet was a wonderful wonderful time. Thanks everyone who joined us live and thank you for joining us...

We're back with a live studio audience! Season 3 kicks off in my beloved hometown of Margate for what will hopefully be a monthly occurrence of being joined by a special guest to share something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. To kick off this chapter/season I've got fan fave Helen Seymour for a glorious time including a dragon's den pitch, some in-depth detective work, Wendy Cope's legendary orange poem and a garage track about Greta Thunberg. What is not to love?

Happy Easter! This week I am joined by the completely wonderful Inua Ellams, a fantastic poet and playwright who I last shared a stage with in a crowded basement in early March 2020 in one of the last gigs pre-pandemic. Since then he had had his debut...

Welcome back! This week I am joined by fellow Roundhouse Poetry Collective alumni and brilliant musician Isabel. As well as a shared love for attempting covers of pop songs with cheap keyboards and mutual appreciation of Zia Ahmed, we discuss the sea...

Hey friends, we have a birthday special this week! Not only is it my birthday and sort of the birthday of the show (after first trying out the format on a little thing called Instagram live as a mini-party online because we were just entering a...

It's Episode 2! This week it was such a treat to get to speak to and hear from the Wonderful Zena Kazeme - We both shared some old old poems and some new old poems, as well as borrowing some stunners from our all-time faves, before finishing on a...

We're back baby! Season 2 of Something borrowed kicking off with a bang in the form of the lizardy wizard Gecko. Since season 1 Gecko has released a new album from which he treats us to a new song, as well as a gorgeous cover, another creative response...

It's the season Finale! The Incredible Rachel Long, founder of Octavia Collective and author of the brand new My Darling From The Lions joined me on Zoom and I can't think a more perfect way to bring season one to a close.Alongside me sharing two poems...

Episode 19 brings us the unstoppable force of joy and energy and truth that is Josh Idehen. Live from Stockholm, Josh single-handedly makes up for me not having been able to perform to audiences full of people for 6 months. We have poetry wheel-ups, we...

Hey friends! This weeks episode was an absolute delight - Featuring the wonderful Katie Ailes, we go from flooffy cats to quakerism via Norwegian death metal and insta-poetry, there's a spontaneous story time and some one-direction Karaoke, but mainly...

We're back baby - This week we have the glorious Hollie Mcnish! One of my favourite poets and people in general, a fellow member of Team GB slam team with myself and Vanessa Kisuule once upon a time, and all round hero.My something old this week is the...

Special Bonus Episode!This week marked the release of the music video for 'So Viele Leute', a song originally debuted as the 'something new' for Episode 13 with James Kiely, and to celebrate we have the full track in its mastered glory for your ears, as...

Hey Friends - Episode brings us the one and only Bridget Minamore! A brilliant poet and reluctant lockdown-gigger, it is a rare treat to be able to have Bridget share some of her fantastic poems with us, as well as talking all things Brainchild...

Hey friends - This weeks episode is the first one where my guest has been in the same room as me! Introducing a man who was next door to me in halls for a year and who has been quarantined with me for the last month, It's the one and only James Kiely...

Hey Friends - episode 13 brings us one of my favourite poets I've come across in the last year and my now very good friend, Helen Seymour!Helen kicks us off with the best poem about a mammoth you will ever hear before sharing something from her new...