麻豆社

Poet Daljit Nagra revisits the 麻豆社's poetry archives and chooses Conversations on a Bench - Edinburgh as Janette Ayachi crafts a poem inspired by the locals who sit with Anna Scott-Brown as she hears more stories from the people who stop to sit beside her on benches around the country.

In this edition, she sits on a bench in Inverleith Park in Edinburgh.

From the bench there is a panoramic view of both the medieval Old Town and the Georgian New Town. The layering of this strangely three dimensional city of roads and bridges, arches and spires is echoed in the layering of story. A schoolgirl practices her reading, while a man always ready to use his fists regrets a life dominated by drugs.

Hidden lives are revealed and common threads recur as Anna's direct questions elicit poignant and profound responses from those sitting on the bench.

Produced by Adam Fowler.

An Overtone production for 麻豆社 Radio 4, first broadcast in 2017.