Episode One: Nelly & Steph attempt to pick their favourite poems

So I didn't go that far back.

So I only got into poetry.

I did an English degree.

We don't know this about each other, do we? We've never had these conversations.

This is so cool.

This is actually weird.

Yeah.

So I did an English degree with sociology and I did a lot of women's literature in that.

I don't remember liking poetry at all during that, particularly.

And then fell out of love with poetry for a long time and only got back into it when I had our first baby, which is now 15 years ago, because she's 15, nearly 16.

I know.

And it was during those days when...

You're breastfeeding in the middle of the night and you just don't have any space in your head to read a full book, but you can just pick up poems.

And it was poets like Holly McNeish that were writing stuff that was so relevant and felt so true.

And like she was saying things that you're like, oh, gosh, she said the thing.

She's saying the things.

And so that was the first time I got into poetry.

I remember being really really nervous because I felt completely out of my depth because poetry can feel so it can feel really elitist can't it can be it's got a real reputation for being inaccessible and very highbrow and even though I'd read a lot of poetry that didn't feel like that going on a poetry course felt like a different level and And despite my English degree, I felt totally out of my depth.

And so we were all asked to bring a favourite poem to the first week.

And I was like, oh, God, I'm going to look really stupid.

I don't know what to choose.

And you're like, do I go for like something classic that I don't even like just to try and fit in? And I didn't.

I chose this one.

And I'd read it on Instagram.

And I remember saying, like, I'm really sorry, mine's an Instagram poet or whatever.