BRADFORD: Word Life

Friday, February 12th, 2010, 8pm, £5
Theatre In The Mill,
University of Bradford campus

Another night of live literature and music from literature organisation 'Word Life', featuring...

Louis Romegoux, an Anglo-French folk musician born, raised and residing in Sheffield, England. Drawing on influences from both sides of the channel as well as a few from across that larger Atlantic pond, Louis' sound captures the essence of folk in its raw, free flowing form encompassing ever expanding boundaries, the fluidity and freedom of Louis's music keep his live performances fresh and exciting every time. Louis has supported John Smith and Denis Jones on tour and has also played concerts with Teddy Thompson, InMe, Slow Club and Little Lost David

Jack Opus, one of the best DJ's in Sheffield - Jack has played live with them all. Having started out playing on Origin FM - hosting a show with Alix Perez, Jack Opus has since been booked to play with many established acts including: - Shy Fx, Toddla T, Joker, Martyn, Scotch Egg, Aim and Battles.

Joe Kriss, who's hosting, is a poet, editor and workshop facilitator based in Sheffield. He has performed widely across the UK appearing at venues such as the Tate Modern and The Roundhouse Theatre. He runs event series ‘Word Life’ in Bradford and Sheffield and edits a creative writing section in Sheffield magazine Now Then.

Featuring words from...

Gerard Benson, a poet, story-teller, singer and performer. Always commited to bringing poetry to new audiences, he has worked extensively in theatre, radio, TV and film. His acclaimed collection To Catch an Elephant was shortlisted for the CLIPE award. Earlier collections include the outstanding anthology, This Poem Doesn't Rhyme, which won the Signal Poetry Award in 1991, and Evidence of Elephants, which was nominated for the Carnegie Medal.He is also an editor for the extremely popular 'Poems On The Underground', which puts poetry in free advertising spaces on the London tube and releases publications.

Kate Fox, Poet in Residence on Radio 4’s Saturday Live for two years, she’s a poet, performer and sometime stand up comic and radio journalist. Winner of slams including the Cheltenham Science Festival Slam and City of Culture Slam, and New Writing North’s Andrew Waterhouse Award. She’s featured recently at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, Aldeburgh Poetry Festival, Humber Mouth Festival and been commissioned to write satirical poems for BBC2’s Daily Politics, and, bizarrely, BBC2’s Chelsea Flower show coverage. She created Write Poems About the News Day, was Twitterer in Residence at the Durham Book Festival and is preparing to tour a stand up poetry show called Fox News. Her Why I books are available from www.zebrapublishing.co.uk.

Matt Black, a poetry activist. He has been writing and performing since 1986 and has run poetry slams in schools, a writers resource centre, and worked as Course Director in Creative Writing at the University of Sheffield. His publications include In the Kitchen With The Candlestick and Squeezing Lemons. He has participated in over 500 public performances, including Cheltenham Festival, Ledbury Festival, Sheffield Festival, Chester Festival, and performed at pubs, clubs, and weddings. Broadcasts include Radio Sheffield, Radio Oxford, Radio Gloucester, BBC Midlands, Today, Pebble Mill at One, and BBC South West.

Saju Iqbal Ahmed is a writer and rapper/poet, whose work attacks social problems and suggests a new way of breaking stereotypes. His writing bring reality to the stage with an in your face delivery switching styles from wordplay to metaphors, juggling topics from streets to teenage love. Born and raised in Harehills Leeds, with a mix heritage of Bangladeshi and Irish, Saju Ahmed grew up inspired by the clashing cultures of the streets, the stories and melodic rebellion of Hip Hop, influencing his own internal sound track.

Matt Hearne, a rising Bradford singer/songwriter and poet, he recently won a local poetry slam and is one to watch from the local scene.