The Political Poets

Available for over a year

When poets started to perform their work live, they made space for voices outside the mainstream to make themselves heard. But when the unheard becomes heard, that’s a political act. Lemn Sissay explores how poets in the 1970s performed alongside reggae groups and punk bands, telling the stories of the streets in language the streets understood. Attila the Stockbroker remembers skirmishing with skinheads, while Benjamin Zephaniah explains why writing about racism was a matter of life and death. 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