6 Enchanting Poetry Audio Albums

Welcome to a world where words dance and emotions find their melodies. Poetry albums can take listeners on a profound journey through the power of language and rhythm. 

To showcase the power of a recorded poetry album, we’ve selected six albums that encapsulate the essence of the human experience, inviting us to explore the depths of love, loss, longing, and introspection. 

From delicate verses whispered with vulnerability to passionate lines that ignite the soul, these albums transcend traditional boundaries, fusing the beauty of poetry with the magic of music. Get ready to immerse yourself in a symphony of words and let these poetic albums awaken your senses and stir your imagination.

1) The Coral Sea by Patti Smith and Kevin Shields

Patti Smith is a renowned American singer-songwriter, poet, and visual artist. Her distinctive blend of punk rock and poetry, along with her activism and influential memoir, have solidified her as a cultural icon and trailblazer in the music industry. Made in collaboration with My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields, The Coral Sea is a poetic tribute by Patti Smith to her friend and artist Robert Mapplethorpe. It captures the essence of their deep connection and the beauty of their shared experiences.

2) Let Them Eat Chaos by Kae Tempest

Kate Tempest is a British spoken word artist, rapper, and playwright. Their powerful and evocative performances fuse poetry with social commentary, tackling themes of identity, inequality, and urban life. Their compelling work has garnered critical acclaim and established them as a prominent voice in contemporary art. Let Them Eat Chaos is Tempests’s second studio album. It delves into the lives of seven individuals, exploring themes of isolation, societal unrest, and the search for connection in a chaotic world.

3) Free Will by Gil Scott-Heron

Gil Scott-Heron was a highly influential American poet, musician, and activist. Known for his spoken word performances and politically charged lyrics, he pioneered the fusion of poetry and jazz, addressing social issues with poignant and powerful messages. His work continues to inspire and resonate today. Released in 1972, Free Will addresses themes of political activism, racial injustice, and personal introspection, showcasing Scott-Heron’s unique musical and poetic style.

4) Seven Psalms by Nick Cave

 
Australian musician, author, and actor Nick Cave is known for his dark and poetic songwriting. Seven Psalms consists of seven spoken word pieces accompanied by Warren Ellis’s music. 
is not an album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. However, they have released critically acclaimed albums like “Murder Ballads” and “Skeleton Tree” that showcase their unique blend of rock, post-punk, and alternative styles.

5) This Is Madness by The Last Poets

The Last Poets are a group of African-American poets and musicians who emerged in the late 1960s. Their revolutionary poetry, accompanied by rhythmic percussion, boldly addressed racial inequality, social injustice, and the Black experience, influencing generations of artists and activists. Their second studio album, This Is Madness was released in 1971 and peaked at #104 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, as well as #14 on the Top R&B Albumbs chart in the US.

6) When the Poems Do What They Do by Aja Monet

 
Contemporary poet and activist Aja Monet releases her debut album with When The Poems Do What They Do. The album features prominent R&B and Jazz Musicians including Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, Samora Pinderhughes, Marcus Gilmore, Lonnie Holley, Eryn ALlen Kane, and Novena Carme. Celebrated for its joy, seduction, and nuance, Pitchfork wrote that the Monet “[takes] us through storm-battered homes and jump rope competitions as she explores Black joy and the blight of capitalism.”

 
Each album served as a gateway to diverse emotions, illuminating the universal threads that weave us together as human beings. Whether it was the haunting verses of introspection or the tender melodies of love’s embrace, these albums transcended mere artistic expression, etching themselves into the tapestry of our hearts. May the echoes of these poetic albums continue to resonate within us, reminding us of the profound beauty that lies within the interplay of language and rhythm.

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Unleashing creative brilliance!

Watch a movie, read a book, or get served a memorable ad, and you’ll immediately appreciate the power of creativity.

 
The marketing and communications space has long been a hub of innovation and creative expression, driving culture and fuelling economic growth across the globe. 

At its core, the creativity we breed is about pushing boundaries, challenging conventions, and imagining new ways of seeing and being. It is an essential human trait that can inspire, transform, and connect us.

As the CEO of Publicis Africa, I have had the privilege of working with some of the most talented creatives in the industry. 

From writers and designers to strategists and producers, there is no denying that the creative sector in communications is a melting pot of the most innovative and dynamic minds this country has to offer.

Nurturing talent

This industry provides a platform for young creatives to not only showcase their skills and talents but express themselves in a way that they feel heard. 

However, as much as creative industries have become an essential contributor to the global economy, nurturing young talented creatives remains a daunting challenge.

The creative industry in South Africa also faces a significant challenge: talent drain. Despite being filled with talented and determined creatives, the country struggles to retain its young creative minds. 

The potential of these individuals is immense, and it is crucial for the industry to actively address this issue.

As an industry, we have to take active steps to fostering an environment built to unlock potential in young creatives. Based on my experience, here are a few active steps we must take to take identify, nurture, and fuel our creative talent.

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Enter the Nan Shepherd Prize to Win £10,000 & Publishing Contract with Canongate

The 2023 Nan Shepherd Prize is open to entries until July 17, 2023. If you are an unpublished nature writer, please submit your book proposal for your chance to win a £10,000 publishing contract with Canongate Books.

The Nan Shepherd Prize is a competition to find the next voice in nature writing. It aims to celebrate nature writing and provide an inclusive platform for emerging nature writers from underrepresented backgrounds.

The winner receives a £10,000 publishing contract with Canongate Books including editorial mentoring. If the winner does not already have a literary agent, then they will also receive an offer of representation from Caro Clarke of Portobello Literary Agency.

Eligibility Guidelines:

Applications are open to previously unpublished writers based in the UK and Ireland, who consider themselves underrepresented in nature writing, whether through ethnicity, disability, class, sex, gender, sexuality or any other circumstances.

Entrants must not have published full-length books of fiction or non-fiction with a trade publisher.

Writers who have previously entered the Nan Shepherd Prize are eligible to enter, including those previously longlisted or shortlisted.

Submit the following:

A one-page synopsis of their book, followed by outlines of every chapter. The book need not be completed before submission, but the idea being proposed should be narrative non-fiction and deal with nature or the environment in some form.

A sample chapter or chapters totaling no more than 7,000 words.

A biographical note, including information on why you feel underrepresented in nature writing, and any relevant information such as previously published short works or poetry, agent details, social media accounts, literary prizes won or nominated for, etc. 

This should be no longer than 500 words and should be pasted in the body of the email.

Good luck to all applicants! The longlist will be announced in August and the shortlist will be announced in September.

 The winner will be chosen in October 2023.

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Here is the 2023 Miles Franklin award shortlist

Six authors have been named to the shortlist for the 2023 Miles Franklin award, Australia’s top literary gong, with a AU$60,000 prize being dangled for the eventual winner.

The shortlist is:

Jessica Au, Cold Enough for Snow

Robbie Arnott, Limberlost

Yumna Kassab, The Lovers

Fiona Kelly McGregor, Iris

Shankari Chandran, Chai Time at the Cinnamon Gardens

Kgshak Akec, Hopeless Kingdom

The stories crisscross through time and traverse from Australia to Sri Lanka, Japan, and the migrant trail from South Sudan—any tale that “presents Australian life in any of its phases” is eligible, and I appreciate the fluidity there. 

Jessica Au’s Cold Enough for Snow has already taken honors in the $100,000 Victorian prize for literature and the $25,000 fiction category at the Victorian premier’s literary awards. Fiona Kelly McGregor’s Iris was longlisted for the Stella prize.

The Miles Franklin award is named for Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin, who of course wrote My Brilliant Career. The Stella prize, awarded to a nonbinary or female author, is likewise named for her. The winner will be announced on July 25th.

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“Pumpkin Pie,” a Poem by Marija Dejanović

A watermelon is a fish from a garden
she said and laughed
She had a wide-brimmed straw hat
and sat at the table in the yard
Her shoulders were sprinkled with freckles
and a knife shone in her hand
We have a watermelon, but who’ll slaughter it
that’s the expression in her village
as if it’s about slicing a wound in the warmth
She said when you leave, who’ll go for walks with me
She pressed her thumb against her cheek,
her index finger on her forehead
and released a small weary sigh after work
Said I’d like to make a pumpkin pie
but I can’t eat it on my own
*
She mostly walks alone
Moves around the streets like a small flock
Her feet, like two fish
perennially in the shade and under the surface
invisible they carefully mark out
the blood flow of the world
Sugar collects in the veins on her legs
and all her shoes bother her, that’s how much she walks
*
The sun levels out all kinds of cruelty
makes them less horrible

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Abuja Literary and Arts Festival 2023 for September

The Abuja Literary and Arts Festival 2023 is set to run in the Nigerian capital from September 3 – 9, 2023. The festival theme is “Becoming One With The Other.”

The Abuja Literary Society was founded to bring together writers, aspiring writers, book-lovers, intellectuals, and anyone with an interest in the literary arts and looking to relax in a creative atmosphere in 1998.

 

To celebrate the second decade of the society, the team based in Abuja, Nigeria set up the Abuja Literary Festival in 2018. 

It featured book readings, panel discussions, masterclasses, a poetry grand slam, a nature hike, a food fair, writing and arts competitions, and lots more. The event run physically and/or virtually in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.

On Wednesday the organisers of the festival revealed that the literary shindig will be returning to Abuja in September. 

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Poetry Pod announces next event for Johannesburg poets and poetry lovers

Poetry Pod is a poetry club for anyone who is interested to share their poetry with others and celebrate freedom of expression in a safe space.

The Poetry Pod is our monthly poetry sharing session at the Goethe-Institut South Africa; it is a relaxed and emotionally safe space intended for poetry lovers to come share their work and give each other thoughtful and constructive feedback. 

All who want to attend are asked to bring three poems to share.

 
It takes place every third Wednesday of the month, 18.30 till 20.00. Our passionate facilitator Linda Kaoma will guide the process. 

Wine and snacks are available for your enjoyment. Come and join us to express yourself and hear others' hearts and minds.

 
Learn more: https://www.goethe.de/ins/za/en/ver.cfm?event_id=24742357 

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Joy of Books Festival keeps South African poetry and literature attractive

When they foun­ded the Joy of Books Festival last year, an East Lon­don duo not only cre­ated a plat­form for local authors, poets, artists and book lov­ers to con­nect, they are cre­at­ing a cul­ture of read­ing.

Claire Mac­don­ald and Jen Bryson Moorcroft pro­moted read­ing in other organ­isa­tions and schools when they decided to use the lit­er­ary gath­er­ing to collect books and donate to those in need in the Buf­falo City Metro.

Thanks to the impact of their work on the lives of those who have been on the receiv­ing end, the duo was nom­in­ated for the 2023 Local Her­oes awards by The Cancer Con­nec­tion’s Sam Ram­say.

Ram­say’s char­ity is among those who have benefited from Mac­don­ald and Moorcroft’s dona­tions.

The Joy of Books Fest­ival is the brainchild of former teacher Mac­don­ald who cre­ated it in memory of her aunt who had a passion for read­ing and adored chil­dren.

After Mac­don­ald thought up the concept, she approached theatre maker and play­wright Moor­croft, who became the fest­ival’s cre­at­ive dir­ector.

Moor­croft told the media last year that the fest­ival aimed to “cre­ate a pos­it­ive space to cel­eb­rate all things lit­er­ary, to encourage and inspire oth­ers to share their pas­sion and cre­ativ­ity”.

The lit­er­ary fest­ival deb­uted in July last year and a second instal­ment was held in Decem­ber, cel­eb­rat­ing everything from books and poems to the art of storytelling, theatre plays, authors and writers.

The duo also launched the plat­form as a fun­draiser to buy and col­lect books to donate to other projects in the metro.

They have col­lec­ted and donated books to ini­ti­at­ives and schools such as Fig Tree School in Brak­fon­tein, Fun­dasana and Frere Hos­pital’s pae­di­at­ric onco­logy ward through The Can­cer Con­nec­tion.

Mac­don­ald said their ini­ti­at­ive quickly gained sup­port from book stores and organ­isa­tions which have donated books to them. These include Bar­gain Books, Masithethe and Pan Mac­mil­lan.

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An emotional book about how the world crumbled for a former Miss South Africa semi finalist

PRISON CHILD – FELICIA GOOSEN, THE STORY OF VANESSA GOOSEN'S DAUGHTER

Most people will remember the story of the former Miss South Africa semi-finalist Vanessa Goosen who was incarcerated in Lard Yao women’s prison in Bangkok in 1994 for more than 16 years.

The young woman claimed to have been duped into carrying four engineering books, which were found to have compartments in the front and back hardcover and spine containing 1.7kg of heroin.

Aged 21 and pregnant, she was arrested and tried on drug trafficking charges. She was sentenced to death, but her sentence was commuted to life.

Through two appeals – one of which was rejected – and a process of amnesty from the king of Thailand, Goosen eventually was released on October 30, 2010. 

A first book, Drug Muled: Sixteen Years in a Thai Prison, penned by Joanne Joseph with Larissa Focke, traced her years in prison and her brief period of motherhood before her daughter Felicia was taken away from her at the age of 3 and sent to South Africa.

Now comes the book Prison Child Felicia Goosen – The story of Vanessa's Goosen’s daughter.

In South Africa, Felicia, now aged 28, was raised by her mother’s best friend Melanie Holmes and her husband Hilton Homes. 

Their daughter, Lerell (Lala), and her were the same age and her adoptive parents treated her like one of their own.

But when her adoptive mother died and Vanessa was released from prison, things went awry. Felicia’s own life went downwards, spiralling out of control – through acoholism and self-hating.

But with the help of friends and religion she picked herself up and this is her story, emotional yet uplifting as she charts her path to healing. It’s an easy read despite the difficulties Felicia describes, and in it readers will find many messages of hope.

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Afro #Poetry Times magazine is the poetic gem for June

The Afro Poetry Times June edition is on the shelves and on your number one digital press distributor PressReader. 

This issue is a poetic gem for June as it warms up the soul through amazing poems from amateur writers. 

What makes it even more eccentric is the tale of poetic success, as told by a published poet. 

She delves into how it began, her inspiration, how she deals with writers block and advice to wannabe poets.

There is also the story of Botshelo Mtombothi, who is known as the accounting poet. She is a qualified accountant and she fuses accounting with poetry. 

You can read all about it in the June edition and there is also:

* Great poems

* The African author whose making a mark in the United States 

* Competitions to win real money

* The short story of the month 

* And lots more!

That is why we call it the poetic gem for June. 

You can get your digital copy on PressReader by following this link: 

https://www.pressreader.com/canada/afro-poetry-times/20230601

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