Saboteur Awards 2019 Category Spotlight: Best Spoken Word Performer

All over the world at any given moment there are spoken word performers wowing audiences. After the first round of voting, you have narrowed down your spoken word performers to a list of four fabulous poets. You can cast your vote for your favourite of them all by visiting our voting form just here.

Scarlett Ward

Scarlett Ward is a young Midlands poet working from Cannock, Staffordshire. After being prescribed a strict regime of elocution lessons in high school to “fix” her Midlands regional accent and slight stutter, the spoken-word aspect of her poetry journey really helped her re-establish her own sense of identity through the exploration of colloquialism, voice, and tone in her performances. By pushing herself beyond the page and onto the stage, Scarlett has had to overcome her speech impediment whilst exploring and celebrating the way in which her hometown Black-Country accent can lend itself to interesting sounds as well as her own sense of belonging. She would now label herself a proud “yam-yam.” Her debut collection ‘ache’ will be released with Verve Poetry Press Friday June 21st at Waterstones at the Bullring, Birmingham, and you can pre-order the book by clicking here.

Luke Wright

Luke Wright is one of Britain’s top stand-up poets. Flamboyant, political and riotously funny, Wright’s inventive shows are enjoyed by thousands of people across the world every year. He is the author of two full collections and three pamphlets of poetry, and two verse plays. He is the winner of a Fringe First, a Stage Award, and a Saboteur Award.
In 2019 he’s been tour support for Peter Doherty, John Cooper Clarke, and Art Brut, as well as headlining his own 30 date tour of the UK and New Zealand.
For 11 years he co-programmed the Poetry Arena at Latitude, Europe’s largest poetry gig. He now curates poetry for Port Eliot and Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Bróccán Tyzack-Carlin

Bróccán is a stand-up poet who started performing spoken word in December 2017.

Since then, he has won the Manchester Slam 2018; the Huddersfield Literature Festival Slam 2019, placed 2nd in the Manchester Champion of Champions Slam and qualified for the Hammer and Tongue National Final 2019, taking place in June 2019. He has headlined poetry and comedy nights across the north-west and north-east of England and since last year has been performing his first solo show Don’t Bother across the UK and at various festivals to critical acclaim and sell-out audiences.

He has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe since 2017 as part of the multi-award winning Durham Revue and, more recently, in solo ventures and will be returning with Don’t Bother this year.

Further information on the return of Bróccán’s Don’t Bother can be found by clicking here.

Jamie Thrasivoulou

Jamie Thrasivoulou is a British-Cypriot writer, poet, and educator from Derby. His work has been published by The Morning Star, Culture Matters, and Hi-Vis Press amongst others. His debut collection, The Best Of A Bad Situation, was published via Silhouette Press in 2017. His next collection, Our Man, will be published through Burning Eye Books in July 2019. His show of the same title will also be performed at the Edinburgh, Buxton, and Greater Manchester 2019 Fringe Festivals. Thrasivoulou was a winner of the Culture Matters: Bread & Roses Award for working class songwriting and spoken word in 2018. He’s the writer-in-residence at HMP Foston Hall, and the official poet of Derby County Football Club. His work has appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live, ITV, and BBC Introducing.

You can find out more about Jamie’s work by visiting his website.