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Ian McMillan presents Radio 3's 'Cabaret of the Word' with the Cowboy Junkies, Jacob Sam-La Rose, Bryan and Mary Talbot and Pete Jordi Wood.

The Cowboy Junkies made an international impact with their album 'The Trinity Session' in 1987. It included a cover version of 'Sweet Jane' which Lou Reed said was 'the best and most authentic version' of the song he'd ever heard. After nearly thirty years together making records, they've completed their most ambitious project yet, The Nomad Series - four albums which take the listener from China to the Wilderness. They perform a new song for us, 'Fairytale', and one of their best-loved tracks 'Misguided Angel'. Margo Timmins explains how she 'meets' lyrics in a way which lets the listener enter them too.

Poet Jacob Sam-La Rose was nominated for the Forward Prize for best first collection in 2012, and reads two poems, 'Rapture' and 'The Hours'. He talks about his influences, how to 'trust' a poem's own momentum, and the importance of 'local' detail when writing about his identity. (Bloodaxe)

Bryan and Mary Talbot are the co-authors of 'Dotter of her Father's Eyes', a graphic novel which has just won the Costa Award for Biography. Part personal history, part biography, it contrasts two coming of age narratives: that of Lucia, the daughter of James Joyce, and that of Mary herself. They talk to Ian about their collaboration, and how Bryan's art-work and Mary's script worked together to create a tender celebration of their marriage. (Cape)

Pete Jordi Wood is a script-writer best known for his short film 'I Don't Care' for Channel Four. He's on the writing teams for 'Shameless' and 'Eastenders. Here he presents a commission for 'The Verb' called 'Lifted' - part of our NHS drama series.

Producer: Faith Lawrence.