Award-winning writer Adam Lowe, 27, isn’t scared of expressing himself through his poetry. He has performed in theatres, cafes, shopping malls and even outside a Jobcentre Plus. The former youth ambassador for the Cultural Olympiad and member of Peepal Tree Press’ Young Inscribe programme is also one of 10 talented poets selected for The Complete Works II, promoting diversity in British poetry.
Described by fellow writer Tom Bradley as an “all-round madman of letters”, Lowe also writes fiction, plays and articles. He tells Joy Francis why he believes poetry needs to be performed, reveals his interest in sexuality and spirituality and urges poets to diversify their skills to make a living.
What inspired you to take up poetry and when?
I have always written poetry. I used to write when I was younger then when I turned 17 I had a blog where I posted these awful poems for the world to read. After looking back at them I wondered what was I doing and stopped writing poetry. When I finished my degree I had written a book and contacted Kadija George at Peepal Tree Press. She got in touch when they began recruiting for its Young Inscribe programme. While on the programme I did some workshops with Shamshad Khan and started writing poetry again.
How would you describe what you do as you perform poetry in unconventional and immediate settings, such as colleges, bars, theatres, outside government offices and shopping centres?
First and foremost I am a writer. I tend to use the word writer, rather than author or novelist or poet, as I see it as something much more holistic. If you want to make a living from poetry you have to do more than one thing. It is more interesting to have these gear changes, where you switch from writing poetry to writing fiction.
How important is the performance of poetry to you?
Poetry comes from the oral tradition, so it should be performed, though not necessarily all the time. It is a good skill to have the ability to perform your poetry and write it well for the page. I’m interested in doing both and doing both well. If you just write for the page that might exclude some people who may not encounter what you do. If you perform all the time, you are more likely to write for the same audience rather than writing something more durable and longer lasting.
You work very closely with young people, including on the Young Inscribe programme. Do you think that poetry is being widely championed and encouraged among young people today?
I think there is a growing and vibrant poetry scene that does involve young people. There are open mic nights and slam poetry events where young people engage with each other. This is an entry point for young people to do the performance first and then move onto doing page poetry. I am working with a young male poet and I asked him if he had tried writing according to a particular form, such as a sonnet. He didn’t know what a sonnet was as he had come through a less traditional route.
What does your poetry focus on theme wise?
There are common themes. Recently I have been focusing on spirituality and sexuality and where those two things might go together. Some Arabic poetry is quite spiritual and sexual and religious text is written in poetry. I’m also doing some research on Sappho, the ancient Greek poet. I write about contemporary things like relationships and race. Bone Railroad is an epic poem about slavery that was also performed as a play.
Most of the poets I’ve interviewed have all spoken candidly about how difficult it is to make a living from poetry. Do you feel the same?
What a lot of poets do is perform in schools and at music festivals. Many do residencies and get commissions. This is where they get their income from rather than from selling poetry books. You don’t earn enough money from books to sustain a career. A book is a nice object to have and you can win awards with them, but for me a book is a tool to get a commission or a gig which helps you to generate more money in the long run.
What are you currently working on?
There is a novel I have been working on for a long time. I seem to write more poetry than fiction most days. The novel requires more time and focus and is a bigger commitment. It will happen when the time is right. In between that I’m writing lots of poetry and I’m part of The Complete Works II programme, which has helped me to meet poets and explore my work in different ways. I am being mentored on the programme by poet Patience Agbabi. I am also planning a one man show called Ecstasies that looks at sexuality and spirituality, which will be at the Contact Theatre in February 2014.
[toggle title=”Read Lowe’s poem Bone Railroad.”]
BONE RAILROAD
I will clutch your bones together
into a coral palace at the bottom
of the sea. I will sing hymns
to celebrate you in the vault
built from your ribcage. The stained
glass I will blow from your dreams.
Who cast you down here like
a bone railroad from Africa’s west
coast to the Americas, the Caribbean?
Whales will worship you.
I will come down and sit upon
your coral throne, and remember
who you were. I will unearth
your stories, find the ships that
discarded you, and sink them all.
©Adam Lowe 2013[/toggle]