Industry Insider – Poetry and Film – A Perfect Match?

Poetry Film – the fusion of spoken word and visual image – is becoming increasingly prevalent in today’s poetry landscape: from simple YouTube readings going viral, creative collaborations between publications and art venues, to poets being commissioned for TV adverts by big corporate brands like Nationwide and Heathrow, poetry on screen is engaging a vast audience. So, what makes this subgenre so captivating and why has it become so popular? Should all poets be getting involved and if so, how? And are poetry and film indeed the perfect match?

Join our brilliant panel of poets, chaired by Judith Palmer (Director of The Poetry Society), as they exchange tips and discuss the creation and impact of poetry on film. 

This event is in conjunction with our Poetry and Spoken Word Group.

This event will take place after the group’s AGM (SoA members only). Register here for the AGM

 

Programme

• Welcome, housekeeping and introductions by Judith Palmer (5 mins)
  
• Panel discussion with Judith Palmer, Chaucer Cameron, Yomi Sode and Nathalie Teitler (50 mins)
• Comfort Break (5 mins)
• Questions from the audience (25 mins)
• Summary and closing comments from Judith Palmer (5 mins)
• This event will be moderated by Johanna Clarke – Publishing Contracts Advisor, SoA

 

What will this session cover?

• The evolution of poetry film as a genre
• The value and impact of poetry films
• Who’s making them?
• The practicalities of making/commissioning
• Tips and advice for poets wanting to make or be involved in poetry films

 

Who is this session for?

Anyone interested in poetry film and the poetry landscape in general, especially poets who are engaging in this genre or who might want to do so in the future.  

 

Send us your questions in advance

 If you would like to send questions in advance, email [email protected] with ‘Poetry and Film’ in the subject header. We will prioritise questions sent in advance and answer as many questions as we can on the day.

 

SoA @ Home Fundraising Bookshop

Browse our virtual Bookshop.org store, featuring books by authors and speakers taking part in the SoA @ Home Festival. When you make a purchase using our affiliate links a percentage will go to the Authors’ Contingency Fund, providing hardship grants to authors in financial difficulty.

 

The Line-up

 

Judith Palmer (Chair) – The Poetry Society, Director

Judith Palmer is Director of The Poetry Society, the UK’s principal organisation for poetry. Founded in 1909, The Poetry Society promotes poetry for all ages, working extensively in education, developing new generations of writers, and publishing the influential magazine The Poetry Review. She has commissioned many poetry films, and in 2022 developed the large-scale public art event ‘About Us’ in partnership with award-winning design company 59 Productions. The show combined new poetry with multimedia installations including animation, original music and live performance, presented at outdoor locations including Paisley Abbey, Caernarfon Castle and the Tower of London. She has a background in publishing, and as an interdisciplinary arts producer, writer and broadcaster.

Website: www.poetrysociety.org.uk | Twitter: @poetrysociety | @wasthatthunder

Instagram: @thepoetrysociety | @dazzlegradually

 

Chaucer Cameron

Chaucer Cameron is author of In an Ideal World I’d Not Be Murdered which was published by Against the Grain Press in 2021. Her poetry has also been published in journals, magazines, and anthologies. Chaucer is creator of Wild Whispers (2018) an international poetry film project and has presented poetry film at various poetry and film festivals, including Zebra Poetry Film Festival in Berlin and Athens Poetry Film Festival. Chaucer is poetry editor of the online magazine Poetry Film Live.

Websites: https://againstthegrainpoetrypress.wordpress.com/shop/ |https://chaucercameron.com/

Facebook: Chaucer Cameron | Twitter: @ChaucerCameron

 

Yomi Sode

Yomi Ṣode is a Nigerian British writer. His debut collection Manorism, published by Penguin in October 2022 alongside a stage adaptation at the Southbank Centre, is shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize 2023 and the T S Eliot Prize 2022. He was shortlisted for the Brunel International African Poetry Prize 2021, and received the Jerwood Compton Poetry Fellowship in 2019. Yomi’s acclaimed one-man show COAT toured nationally to sold-out audiences, including at the Brighton Festival, Roundhouse Camden and the Battersea Arts Centre. In 2020, his libretto Remnants, written in collaboration with award-winning composer James B. Wilson and performed with Chineke! Orchestra premiered on BBC Radio 3.

In 2021 his play and breathe… premiered at the Almeida Theatre to rave reviews. Yomi is a Complete Works alumnus and a member of Malika’s Poetry Kitchen. He is the founder of BoxedIn, First Five, The Daddy Diaries, and mentorship programme, 12 in 12

Website: www.yomisode.com | Twitter: @YomiSode | Instagram: @yomi_sode

 

Nathalie Teitler

Dr Nathalie Teitler HonFRSL has worked in the literature sector for over 25 years. She was the Director of the Complete Works Poets, a national development programme founded by Bernardine Evaristo to promote inclusivity in British Poetry. She is currently the Director of Nuevo Sol British Latinx writers, The Bridge international writers collective as well as Dancing Words which produces dance poetry/literature films. She has been creative director on many poetry and other films that have been shown at the BFI, Southbank, Tate and at festivals around the world. She has also acted as a consultant for organisations and artists wanted to make cross-arts films.

Twitter: @Natteitler

 

About the Poetry and Spoken Word Group

The Poetry and Spoken Word Group is a professional community of poets and spoken word artists. It represents writers and performers at any stage of their career. The group come together to discuss issues affecting poets and the spoken word community, offer advice and support, and raise the profile of poetry and performance.

 

Need to know

Accessibility

• Attendees will have the option to turn on the live transcript option to watch with subtitles
• If you require BSL interpretation for this event, please email [email protected]

Before the event

• Once registered, you will be sent a confirmation email with the Zoom link
• If the confirmation email doesn’t arrive in your inbox, please check your junk /spam email folder.
• Please add [email protected] to your Safe Senders list so you receive our confirmation, and reminder emails

During the event

• This online event will take place on Zoom Webinar; you will not be visible on screen but will be able ask questions via the Q&A function or interact via the chat box
• This event will be recorded but you won’t be on screen
• Attendees have the option to turn on the live transcript option
• This event is 60 minutes.

After the event

• Hashtag for this event: #SoAatHome
• You’ll be able to catch the recording on our Vimeo channel

 

Booking

Book your place by using the registration below.

All #SoAatHome events are free but if you can afford to, please consider donating to our Authors’ Contingency Fund and we suggest a minimum donation of £5. The fund is to help professional authors experiencing financial hardship. DONATE HERE