Poetry&Words goes international

22nd June 2009

Poetry&Words is part of what makes Glastonbury Festival different – a vibrant festival of contemporary performing arts, rather than just another music festival. The stage was set up more than fifteen years ago by the late, great Pat V T West.  It was handed over to Bristol-based poet, Helen Gregory in 2008, who has seized the challenge of taking Poetry&Words to the next evolutionary phase in the heart of the Theatre and Circus area of the Festival.  

2009 sees a line up which is bigger, better and even more bloomin’ marvellous than ever before, with a top international line up, headlined by John Hegley and Porky the Poet (AKA Phill Jupitus).  Other stars of the stage include: U.S. National Poetry Slam Individual Grand Champion (2003) and Individual World Poetry Slam Champion (2006), Mike McGee; Montreal English Critics’ Circle Award winner, Catherine Kidd; internationally renowned Botswana-based wordsmith, Andreattah Chuma; professional punk poet, Attila the Stockbroker; award-winning novelist; spoken-word artist, Joolz Denby; and ‘million pound poet’, Murray Lachlan Young.  This will all be compered by multi-slam winning poet, Kat Francois, and high energy bard Gary Death who has been described by North East News as being ‘somewhere between Henry Rollins and John Cleese’.  

As if that wasn’t enough, the long-running Sunday afternoon slam (one of the first ever slams to run in the country) will be hosted by Dreadlockalien and Andy Craven Griffiths in the form of Dreadlockalien Middleman productions. (Both are highly talented poets in their own right and will also be performing elsewhere on the bill.)  The slam is a chance for up and coming poets to strut their stuff, entertain the crowd and win a spot on next year’s Poetry&Words bill.  For the less competitive, there’s the Saturday afternoon open mic, hosted by dynamic diva Sophia Blackwell.

Whether slamming, open mic-ing, or watching on site or from afar, this is one that’s definitely not to be missed!

Poetry&Words 2009: Schedule

11.00 – 18.00 every day, with your hosts Kat Francois and Gary Death

Friday

11.00 Helen Gregory

11.10 A Poem in Between People

11.35 Hollie McNish

12.00 Cat Kidd

12.25 Derrick Brown

12.50 Rosy Carrick

13.15 Nathan Filer

13.40 Anita Govan

14.05 Andy Craven-Griffiths

14.35 The Poetry Chicks

15.00 Dreadlockalien

15.30 Rosemary Harris

16.00 Joolz

16.45 Mike McGee

17.10 Porky the Poet (AKA Phill Jupitus)

Saturday

11.00  The Poetry Chicks

11.30 Nathan Filer

11.50 Open mic (hosted by Sophia Blackwell)

12.50 Mike McGee

13.15 Jude Simpson

13.40 Cat Kidd

14.05 Mark Mace Smith (2008 Slam Winner)

14.30 Rosy Carrick

15.15 A Poem in Between People

15.40 Attila the Stockbroker

16.25 Andreattah Chuma

16.50 Murray Lachlan Young

17.15 Aisle 16

Sunday

11.00 Jude Simpson

11.35 Murray Lachlan Young

12.00 Steve Tasane

12.30 Andreattah Chuma

12.55 Adam Horovitz (Website poet in residence)

13.25 Anita Govan

13.50 Pete Hunter

14.20 John Hegley

15.05 Hollie McNish

15.30 Derrick Brown

15.50 Helen Gregory

16.00  Slam (hosted by Dreadlockalien Middleman Productions)