Lemn Sissay. Wharra guy.
When I was growing up I always felt a little bit embarrassed about the fact that I wrote poetry. I thought everyone would think I was a bit of a geek, that nobody did things like that round these parts. So you can imagine my excitement when I found out that it’s actually proper cool and Nottingham hosted its very first poetry festival in different venues all over the city.
I had the privilege of not only compering and performing at some of the events, but attending the headline show which included an appearance from organiser Henry Normal – writer of The Royle Family and founder of Baby Cow Productions – as well as massive-in-the-game poet Lemn Sissay MBE.
The week started off with some hosting for Poetry is Dead Good at JamCafé, all inclusive of the eccentric, shrill verse of Sebastian King; quick-time a capella rapping from Alice Short; calmly considered notions from Martin Grey; and the difficult romances of Jeiran Ganiyeva. As on every third Tuesday of the month, the open mic was jam packed with the huge range of stories of poets from all over the city, all topped by the singer-songwriter prowess of Josh Wheatley.
Later on in the week, it was time for new publishing company Mud Press’s spoken word night at The Portland Arms – Dot The Eyes. Mud Press founder Georgina Wilding kicked off the evening with some merry poetry about her family and frozen kebabs, all laced with precisely vivid verse; I did a few little whatsits; and Stephen Thomas entertained with his rhyming, comedic rhythms. Local acoustic guitarist Brett Sinclair kicked out some jams, and everyone had a jolly old time.
The next event was the brand-spanking Book Off at Rough Trade, which will now be a monthly thing. I didn’t manage to get down until later in the evening, but there was everything from storytelling, to playwrighting workshops and panel discussions before different local literary communities came together for a few performances. There were feminist comedy sketches from Major Labia; stories of strength, beautiful songs and poetry from Black Drop, all inclusive of Michelle Mother Hubbard’s St Ann’s take on Jack and the Beanstalk which may or may not include a giant ganja plant; and pieces from Poetry is Dead Good hosts – me and Stephen Thomas.
Our Stephen’s poem about his girlfriend getting with him because he looks like Jesus remains a firm favourite with the crowd, with a relaxed, welcoming quality to boot. Headlining was the recent Nottingham reclaimant Ben Norris, who’s been away in Birmingham only to return with some seriously creative, imagery-bombarded musings; some about family, some about growing up, some about romance. One to keep an eye out for, for certain.
The last show of the festival finally came around – Henry Normal and Lemn Sissay at Antenna. Henry had the whole room in stitches with his hilarious anecdotes, mostly punchy quips laced with warm commentary – he makes you feel like you’ve known him for years, and speaks so highly of his hometown Nottingham. You can tell creating the festival meant a lot to him. Among the chuckles, Normal dropped in more heart-wrenching words with beautiful metaphors, showcasing his breadth of skill and ability to create a well-designed journey where he took the audience through emotional peaks and troughs.
For the duration of Lemn Sissay’s set, I was teetering on the edge of my seat. One poem that really stood out was his first, where Sissay painted a cinematic picture of himself hanging onto a branch from the edge of the cliff, blood running down his back to his thighs, people screaming at him to let go until finally he did, realising he had grown wings. His stage presence is phenomenal, leaving you mirroring his wide eyes when he plays around with the audience, having a laugh and taking the piss only to land on some profound truths in his poetry.
I left the building feeling quite torn. Both poets were so entertaining, I could have sat all night listening to them. But they’d flicked the switch, han’t they? It was time to go home and write.
Nottingham Poetry Festival took place from Tuesday 17 November – Thursday 3 December
Nottingham Poetry Festival website
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