Top Poets In Radical Poetry Blitz

Top poets feature in Swansea radical poetry blitz

             Live Poets Society host major poets in hard-hitting evening

Live Poets Society is a political poetry group that puts on a mix of radical poetry and music at Swansea’s Cinema and Co in Castle Street. Their last event, on a rainy Monday night in January, brought together nearly 100 mainly young people, eager to listen to and read poetry calling for an end to racism, sexism, homophobia, war and exploitation.

The next poetry evening is on Monday 25 March, starting at 7pm. This month Live Poets are proud to host two major poets, Patrick Jones and Robert Minhinnick. Patrick has been called “probably Wales’ most prominent living literary figure”, and is internationally renowned for his poetry and plays. The legendary playwright Harold Pinter called his work “very strong stuff”, and the human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said his poems were “thoughtful, provocative and challenging…they engage and enrage.”

Robert Minhinnick is an environmental activist. His collection of poems “Diary of the Last Man” won the Welsh Book of the Year Award (English) in 2018. On the 25th we will hear the first ever public reading of his poem on the Darvell brothers, two Swansea men who were freed after 7 years in prison after it was found that documents were fabricated and evidence suppressed.

There will be music from Eleri Angharad, Neil Clarke, Tom Emlyn, Tony Webb and others, and an Open Mic session where some of Swansea’s newest young poets will read alongside poetry scene veterans. Live Poets Society themselves will open and close the evening. It will be a powerful, dynamic feast of radical poetry and music that you won’t forget.