I remember being about 12 and our school went to see a selection of poetry read by the authors. At the time I thought most of them were dreadfully boring (although Carol Ann Duffy was alright) and then out strutted John Cooper Clarke, rake thin, big hair, mod suit and told q dirty joke before launching into Beasley Street. My mind was blown. I met him afternoon and he was lovely and recommended me some people I might like, all of which I did, starting with finding some Atilla The Stockbroker albums in a local lefty bookshop, before having my mind blown all over again seeing both Benjamin Zephaniah and Linton Kwesi Johnson at a little local reggae festival the next year.
I remember being about 12 and our school went to see a selection of poetry read by the authors. At the time I thought most of them were dreadfully boring (although Carol Ann Duffy was alright) and then out strutted John Cooper Clarke, rake thin, big hair, mod suit and told q dirty joke before launching into Beasley Street. My mind was blown. I met him afternoon and he was lovely and recommended me some people I might like, all of which I did, starting with finding some Atilla The Stockbroker albums in a local lefty bookshop, before having my mind blown all over again seeing both Benjamin Zephaniah and Linton Kwesi Johnson at a little local reggae festival the next year.