Patience Agbabi
Encyclopedia
Patience Agbabi is a British
poet
and performer with a particular emphasis on the spoken word. Although her poetry is hard-hitting in addressing contemporary themes, her work often makes use of strong formal constraints, including traditional poetic forms. She has described herself as 'bi-cultural' and bisexual, and issues of racial, sexual
, and gender identity are important in her poetry.
n. She studied English Language and Literature at Pembroke College, Oxford
.
Agbabi began performing on the London club circuit in 1995. She has cited her influences as including Janis Joplin
, Carol Ann Duffy
, Chaucer, and various aspects of contemporary music and culture.
She has performed extensively and also worked in collaboration with other writers. Her work has also been influenced by rap
rhythms and wordplay. She was a member of Atomic Lip, which has been described as "poetry's first pop group". They worked together from 1995 to 1998 and their last tour, Quadrophonix, in 1998 merged live and video performance. In 1996 she worked on a performance piece called FO(U)R WOMEN, with Adeola Agbebiyi and Dorothea Smartt, first performed at the Institute of Contemporary Arts
.
As well as performing in Britain she has also undertaken reading tours of Namibia, the Czech Republic, Zimbabwe
, Germany and Switzerland, working with the British Council
. She took part in Modern Love, a spoken word event exploring love and modern relationships, which toured the UK and Switzerland.
Her poetry has been featured on television and radio, including the Channel 4 series Litpop in 1998 and on the children's programme Blue Peter in 1999. In 2000, she was one of ten poets commissioned by BBC Radio 4 to write a poem for National Poetry Day.
Her most recent book, Transformatrix, was published in 2000 and is a commentary on contemporary Britain which draws inspiration from popular music forms. Her current work in progress is called Body Language.
Agabi has taught and run workshops and also been poet in residence at various places ranging from Oxford Brookes University
to a London tattoo and piercing studio. She has an MA in Creative Writing, the Arts and Education from the University of Sussex
and in September, 2002 was appointed Associate Creative Writing Lecturer at the University of Wales
, Cardiff.
In 2004, she was named as one of the Next Generation poets.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and performer with a particular emphasis on the spoken word. Although her poetry is hard-hitting in addressing contemporary themes, her work often makes use of strong formal constraints, including traditional poetic forms. She has described herself as 'bi-cultural' and bisexual, and issues of racial, sexual
Sexual identity
Sexual identity is a term that, like sex, has two distinctively different meanings. One describes an identity roughly based on sexual orientation, the other an identity based on sexual characteristics, which is not socially based but based on biology, a concept related to, but different from,...
, and gender identity are important in her poetry.
Early life
Agbabi was born in London and as a teenager lived in North Wales. Her parents were NigeriaNigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n. She studied English Language and Literature at Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located in Pembroke Square. As of 2009, Pembroke had an estimated financial endowment of £44.9 million.-History:...
.
Agbabi began performing on the London club circuit in 1995. She has cited her influences as including Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
, Carol Ann Duffy
Carol Ann Duffy
Carol Ann Duffy, CBE, FRSL is a Scottish poet and playwright. She is Professor of Contemporary Poetry at the Manchester Metropolitan University, and was appointed Britain's poet laureate in May 2009...
, Chaucer, and various aspects of contemporary music and culture.
Poetry and performances
Agbabi's first collection of poetry, R.A.W, was published in 1995 and received the Excelle Literary Award in 1997.She has performed extensively and also worked in collaboration with other writers. Her work has also been influenced by rap
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
rhythms and wordplay. She was a member of Atomic Lip, which has been described as "poetry's first pop group". They worked together from 1995 to 1998 and their last tour, Quadrophonix, in 1998 merged live and video performance. In 1996 she worked on a performance piece called FO(U)R WOMEN, with Adeola Agbebiyi and Dorothea Smartt, first performed at the Institute of Contemporary Arts
Institute of Contemporary Arts
The Institute of Contemporary Arts is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. It is located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch...
.
As well as performing in Britain she has also undertaken reading tours of Namibia, the Czech Republic, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, Germany and Switzerland, working with the British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
. She took part in Modern Love, a spoken word event exploring love and modern relationships, which toured the UK and Switzerland.
Her poetry has been featured on television and radio, including the Channel 4 series Litpop in 1998 and on the children's programme Blue Peter in 1999. In 2000, she was one of ten poets commissioned by BBC Radio 4 to write a poem for National Poetry Day.
Her most recent book, Transformatrix, was published in 2000 and is a commentary on contemporary Britain which draws inspiration from popular music forms. Her current work in progress is called Body Language.
Agabi has taught and run workshops and also been poet in residence at various places ranging from Oxford Brookes University
Oxford Brookes University
Oxford Brookes University is a new university in Oxford, England. It was named to honour the school's founding principal, John Brookes. It has been ranked as the best new university by the Sunday Times University Guide 10 years in a row...
to a London tattoo and piercing studio. She has an MA in Creative Writing, the Arts and Education from the University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
and in September, 2002 was appointed Associate Creative Writing Lecturer at the University of Wales
University of Wales
The University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
, Cardiff.
In 2004, she was named as one of the Next Generation poets.