To celebrate its 500th edition, Beyond Belief has recorded a special programme at the Contains Strong Language poetry festival in Coventry. From the stage of the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry to discuss the theme of ‘Poetry as the Language of Religion’, Ernie Rea is joined by a distinguished panel: Michael Symmons Roberts is one of Britain’s leading poets whose work explores the connection between the things of the spirit and the things of the world, Canon Mark Oakley is the Dean and Fellow of St John’s College Cambridge and the author of 'The Splash of Words, Believing in Poetry', Muneera Pilgrim is a British born convert to Islam and a poet and cultural producer and Bel Mooney is an author with a regular column in the Daily Mail where she also reviews books of poetry.

Each member of the panel has chosen (and recites) a poem to illustrate the idea that poetry can be the language of faith:
'Names' by Wendy Cope
'To men who use "Why are you single?" as a chat up line' by Muneera Pilgrim
'Belsen, Day of Liberation' by Robert Hayden
'Rehearsal for the Death Scene' by Michael Symmons Roberts


Producer: Helen Lee