Books / Spoken Word
First academic collection of essays on the history of spoken word edited by Bristol poet
The first academic collection of essays on the history and practice of spoken word in the UK is set to be published in April 2021.
Co-edited by Lucy English, co-director of Lyra Bristol Poetry Festival, Spoken Word in the UK hopes to document a previously unrecorded history.
The essays follow the development of spoken word from its early days as anarchic experimental poetry, through the popularity of slams, the influence of hip hop and finally the vibrant scene of today.
is needed now More than ever
Lucy, who lives in Bishopston, has been involved in the city’s spoken word scene since the 1990s and still writes and performs poetry.
“This is the first time that there has been a comprehensive overview of spoken word in the UK which looks at the background, the current practice and trends,” says Lucy, who also works at Bath Spa University. “Spoken word is a relatively new practice, considering that poetry has been around for centuries, so those writing about it exist in a smaller field.
“We have poets, academics, artists, publishers, and event organisers all featured in this book. We wanted to show that spoken word is a form of poetry which is worthy of academic investigation, critique and debate.”
Lucy English co-edited the book. Photo: Lucy English
Lucy has been working with co-editor Jack McGowan on the anthology since 2017,” saying: Jack and I met at the MIX conference on digital writing at Bath Spa University in 2017.
We found out that we both taught spoken word at our universities. Our conversation went something like this: ‘There really should be a book about spoken word in the UK.’ ‘Yes, there should be.’ ‘OMG, I suppose we should write it!’”
Spoken Word in the UK is due for release on April 29, 2021 through Routledge, the UK’s largest academic publisher.
Bristol and its influence on spoken word also features prominently in the collection. With the city’s historic connections to poets such as Chatterton and Wordsworth, the pair realised that the forms recent history had not been documented in the same way.
The collection will be published at the end of April. Image: Routledge
“There are two chapters which feature spoken word in Bristol’ one which is about the history of spoken word in the city from the 70s to the present day and the other is an interview with Clive Birnie from the ground breaking publisher Burning Eye Press, who were the first publishers to focus solely on publishing spoken word poetry,” Lucy says.
“Bristol is well known for its music scene but the impact of Bristol on spoken word is less understood. In the writing of this chapter I discovered unpublished memoirs, recordings, copies of festival programmes, and written accounts of poetry nights.
“I interviewed people who produced and who still run spoken word nights in Bristol as well as a selection of performers and poets. It was really exciting. I feel proud that Bristol has created such a legacy.”
Main photo: St George’s
Read more: New Bristol poetry festival unveils great lineup
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
