It’s a long-running joke amongst spoken word artists that the phrase “Slam Poetry” is an oxymoron, or at the very least an exaggeration. Call something a slam and people will picture two poets facing off […]
In Defence of Insta-Poetry
Are the so-called ‘Instagram Poets’ destroying poetry or resurrecting it? Hattie Graham takes a closer look at social-media based poetry and its effects on the long standing art form.
Is Poetry Really Dead?
We all like to come up with witty and clever Instagram captions. But would we consider the said captions to be poetry? Ariel Bissett, an English Literature graduate and Youtuber, released her documentary #poetry at […]
The World in a Word: National Poetry Day 2018
Inspired by Chris Riddell, Carmen Walker-Vazquez celebrates last week’s National Poetry Day by sharing her favourite poems that focus on this year’s theme: change. ‘Change is the nursery Of music, joy, life, and eternity.’ – […]
More Than Just A Phenomenal Woman – Maya Angelou
As part of Black History Month, Digital Associate Editor Bella Davis pays tribute to the multi-talented American artist. Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s […]
When Slam Poetry Turns to Slamming Poetry
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] When the worlds of ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture collide, clashes will always be inevitable. Presidents on Twitter, political campaigns fuelled by popular music, and even memes used as classroom props have all been topics […]
Are We Having a Period Revolution?
You may remember a certain photograph of Rupi Kaur’s that was taken down initially by Instagram under terms of ‘violating community standards’. The photo was of Kaur herself, lying on a bed with a few, […]
Rupi Kaur and Connecting with Contemporary Poetry
Rupi Kaur’s Instagram famous poetry has created much debate on the limitations and boundaries of the form. Aneeka Hussain delves into her personal connection with Kaur’s poetry and what it means for poetry readers in […]
Simon Armitage Joins School of English
Simon Armitage, one of the UK’s leading contemporary poets, has just joined the staffing team at the University of Leeds, School of English. Some of his multi-award winning poetry collections include Out of the Blue […]
Review: Headingley Lit Fest – I Am Alive (I Guess)
This year’s Headingley Lit Fest focuses on the topic ‘ The Edge’. Literary figures have been challenged with the task of expressing how ‘The Edge’ plays a significant role in their work and the ways […]