Chris Oliver Interview

 

On monday 11th December we welcome Chris Oliver as our headliner.

ive been lucky enough to see him perform numerous times

and done a workshop with him

and he always blows me away with how brilliant and clever his words are.

Anyone that hasnt seen him you really are in for a treat.

So we always like to get to know a bit about our features, so here is a little bit about him...

 

 

When did you start writing poetry?

Do you remember what your first pieces were about?

 

- I started writing poetry at school but I stopped writing

for decades because of a negative experience I had

with an English teacher who didn’t get my work.

I don’t recall the content now.

I started writing seriously about 7 years ago

 

 

 

Why do you write poetry?

What is your favourite thing about it?

 

- I write for a few reasons. Because I find it therapeutic,

it helps me to get my thoughts in order and to provoke thought

and maybe inspire a few people. My favourite thing though

is to perform and bring the words to life

 

When it comes to your own work, how would you describe it?

What themes inspire you?

 

- I would say my work is mainly introspective stuff

about my life experiences and growth.

 I like to be raw and honest when writing.

I also like to use a mix of rhyme schemes and wordplay

I did poetry first and now I’m getting more interested in music

so it was the opposite way round for me.

I think poetry is so powerful because the words stand alone.

Even if poets use a beat, it tends to be a mellow beat that sit

in the background so the words remain the focus

 

 

 

In Leicester we are trying to unite the poetry scene,

in collaboration with other poetry nights,

How would you describe the Leicester poetry scene,

and what, in your opinion could be improved upon?

 

- I love the Leicester poetry scene.

There’s always a welcoming atmosphere

and some great local poets

 

Do you have any favourite poets,

both locally and further afield that you would like to share.

 

- favourite poets is a tough one because I’ve been entertained

and inspired by too many to mention but if I had to pick 2

 I’d say; Shak (@shaks.introspection)

and YA Poet (@y.a.poet)

 

 

If people want to follow your social media where can they find you.

 

- IG @chrisoliver_spokenword 

FB Chris Oliver Spokenword