Lemn Sissay’s Poetry Rebels

Lemn Sissay's Poetry Rebels

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Lemn Sissay's Poetry Rebels: The Internet Poets

The Internet Poets

BBC Radio 4 - Lemn Sissay's Poetry Rebels, The Internet Poets

Lemn Sissay explores how poets have found a new route to audiences - the smartphone.

The poetry boom has been fuelled by poets who didn’t wait for permission to speak. Lemn Sissay explores how technology has opened up a direct route to audiences.

Spoken word poets have revolutionised poetry since the 1960s, by making direct connections with new audiences. Now the internet has opened up a new route for poets to connect with the crowd. But has social media changed poetry?

Lemn Sissay discovers how poets are taking things into their own hands and posting their work online. Hollie McNish recalls how Reddit took her career to a whole new level, Michael Schmidt asks if social media is obscuring the best work, while Simon Armitage looks ahead to the next generation of rebel poets.

Written and presented by Lemn Sissay
Sound design by Charlie Brandon-King
Produced by Richard Lea and Joe Hallam

A Bafflegab production for BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media: Arts

How did performance poetry conquer the poetry world?

How did performance poetry conquer the poetry world? Lemn Sissay tells the incendiary story of how rebels stormed the poetry establishment and transformed poetry

How did performance poetry conquer the poetry world? Lemn Sissay tells the incendiary story of how rebels stormed the poetry establishment, and how they have transformed poetry on both stage and page.

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