麻豆社

麻豆社 Radio 4's Poet in Residence, Daljit Nagra revisits the 麻豆社's radio poetry archive with 'Poetry Idol'.

Poetry's always had an essential role to play in Arab literature, and the tradition is thriving in unexpected ways. Shahidha Bari travels to Abu Dhabi to join the audience of 'Million's Poet', a massive televised competition to find the best poet across the Middle East.

Every year this huge contest takes place under the spotlight of the cameras in Abu Dhabi. Million's Poet is broadcast live with a huge following, as judges and viewers both have the chance to vote. There's plenty at stake, as the top prize is an eye-watering five million United Arab Emirate dirhams, a figure getting close to one million pounds.

So how did this TV contest begin and why do people tune in to hear poets reading their work? It's not the sort of show that would be likely to take off in the west. Judges, competitors and the audience all offer clues to the secret of the success of Million Poet's.

Producer: Mark Rickards

First broadcast on 麻豆社 Radio 4 in 2014.