Poetry Extra: Another Swansea Poet

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BBC Radio 4 Extra

Poetry Extra

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Weekly opportunity for listeners to revisit the riches of the BBC radio poetry archive

A brand new poetry slot on Radio 4 Extra gives listeners a weekly opportunity to revisit the riches of the BBC radio poetry archive

Another Swansea Poet

BBC Radio 4 Extra - Poetry Extra, Another Swansea Poet

Daljit Nagra selects the best programmes from the BBC's poetry archive.

Daljit Nagra selects Another Swansea Poet - featuring Jack Jones, poet, lead singer and fan of Dylan Thomas. From 2019.

Daljit Nagra revisits the BBC's poetry archive and chooses Another Swansea Poet featuring Jack Jones.  

Daljit also selects his Poetry Extra Book of the Month: Out of Sri Lanka - an anthology of poems by contemporary poets with a Sri Lankan heritage.    

Jack Jones is a spoken word poet and the lead singer of Welsh alternative rock band Trampolene, a band which has attracted the attention of The Libertines, Liam Gallagher, John Cooper Clarke and Caitlin Moran.

Jack’s spoken word poetry and lyrics are at the core of Trampolene’s sound. The music isn’t everything though. Sometimes Jack takes the mic, solo, and recites poetry: risky business in a room full of screaming, moshing fans, you might think.

But Jack’s spoken word poetry has become an integral part of Trampolene’s gigs. The crowd shouts for his poem ‘Pound Land’ in every venue and recites Jack’s words along with him.

He writes about everyday life, how to fight adversity, his upbringing, and at gigs around the UK offers his own social commentary on the world, all delivered with a gentle Swansea lilt synonymous with his idol Dylan Thomas.

From his home in the Mumbles, Swansea, Jack tells his life story candidly, with insight from around him. We hear from his fellow band members  and from one of Jack’s biggest fans in the music industry, Peter Doherty, who recalls their adventures on tour together. 

This programme reveals a young man in his 20s with a lot to say and a young man with multiple health problems -  dyslexia and huge amounts of time spent out of school.  It hasn’t let that stop him from making a career out of writing and performing poetry and music.

Producer: Eleri Llian Rees for BBC Cymru Wales

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2019.

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