Why is poetry such a powerful lens for exploring truth? From personal truths to shedding light on topics society would rather overlook, performed poetry in particular, has a special ability to communicate experiences and emotions in incredible shorthand. In this episode Lemn Sissay is joined by award-winning writer and performer Vanessa Kisuule to explore this potency. Together they listen to interviews and poetry readings from the British Library Sound Archive, featuring Indigo Williams, Anthony Joseph and David J – as well as discussing parallels in Vanessa’s own work.

Vanessa Kisuule’s poem Hollow went viral in the days after a statue of slave-trader Edward Colston was toppled into Bristol Harbour by protesters in 2020. At the time she was Poet Laureate of Bristol (2018-2020) and has also been the official poet for Glastonbury festival. She has published two collections and won more than ten poetry slam titles.

Recordings in the episode in order of appearance: 

Vanessa Kisuule performing her poem 'Hollow' as originally released on Twitter.

Link: https://twitter.com/Vanessa_Kisuule/status/1270011146544783361

Indigo Williams on the importance of poetry as a tool to process emotions and stay 'mentally healthy' – with excerpts from her poem 'The Organist', recorded in 2014 by Hannah Silva in the British Library recording studio. 

British Library shelfmark: C1874/3

Lemn Sissay in performance at the National Poetry Centre, London in 1990 and digitised as part of the Unlocking our Sound Heritage (UOSH) project. 

British Library shelfmark: C15/440

Anthony Joseph on the act of reading a poem out loud in order to access 'the collective language' as part of the writing process – with excerpts from his poem 'The Art of Ageing', recorded in 2014 by Hannah Silva in the British Library recording studio.

British Library shelfmark: C1874/1

David J, Vocal Pugilist, demonstrating and explaining the origins of his unique sound poetry style, recorded in 2016 by Hannah Silva in the British Library recording studio.

British Library shelfmark: C1874/15

James Berry performing 'New Reading, Like Rebellion' recorded at the 1983 Angels of Fire Poetry Festival at the Cockpit Theatre in Marylebone, London.

British Library shelfmark: C104/6

You can now listen to original recordings from this series, and thousands more, at http://sounds.bl.uk