Anthony Anaxagorou

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anthony Anaxagorou
Anthony Anaxagorou 2010
Born	March 1983 (age 30) United Kingdom, London
Occupation	Poet & Educator
Nationality	British
Notable award(s)	2002 Mayor Of London's Poetry Slam
www.anthonyanaxagorou.com

Anthony Anaxagorou (born March 1983) is a poet and writer from North London.

Anthony Anaxagorou began writing short stories and poems at the age of 14 influenced mainly by both hip-hop and folk music until in 2002, at the age of 17, he entered and won the London Mayors Poetry Slam with his poem Anthropos.^[1] Following this he made a number of television and radio appearances where he read out various poems, including a live recital on BBC London Radio and a television interview followed by a recital with Vanessa Feltz on the Community Channel.

In 2003 he appeared alongside Kate Tempest on ‘BBC Youth Nation’, presented by Richard Blackwood, where he performed a number of poems that highlighted many social issues all relevant to young individuals. He went on to feature as a member of the panel on the talk show itself which focused on issues such as racism, war, religion, drink and drug abuse, encouraging young people to speak out and voice their own personal views.^[2]

Career

He has worked alongside the Poetry Society assisting in numerous creative writing workshops and mentoring other young poets in developing their ideas and expressing themselves through a positive creative medium.

In 2009 he published his first book Card Not Accepted, which stands as a collection of essays, short stories and poetry all reflecting moments from his life and an overall commentary of western living. Much of his work consists around the spiritual search for inner peace and the detachment from various societal ideals, however a huge section of his work encompasses themes that deal with politics, racism, history and philosophy. He writes from his own personal experiences in a style that is honest and compelling, this is what has so far won him the admiration and affection of many.

In May 2009 the poem "Himself" taken from the book Card Not Accepted, was chosen by MOBO award winning hip hop artist Akala to be read out on BBC News Night Review as part of the arts and poetry weekend.

He has also attended workshops set up by the Hip-Hop Shakespeare Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company who collectively came together to discuss more innovative and captivating ways Shakespeare could be taught in schools across Britain.

June 2010 saw the release of his fourth publication. A digital ebook entitled The Lost Definition of Hope which featured a number of poems written over a space of four months. A portion of the books price was given to Médecins Sans Frontières, an independent organisation who deal with getting aid out to countries caught in heavy conflict.^[3]

In November 2010 he toured the UK supporting MOBO award winning hip-hop artist Akala in his 'DoubleThink' tour. He performed poetry from all the major titles of his work in cities including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Exeter and Liverpool.

In July 2011 he wrote a spoken word piece called If I Told You which begins by questioning the validity and accuracy of historical documentation especially that regarding Africa. The poem then begins to explore current affairs, propaganda systems, the prison industry complex as well as the more existential issues such as ego, love, insecurity and hope. In the short space of a week the poem received over 2,000 views on YouTube as well as being featured at the British Urban Film Festival where it received a standing ovation. He has spoken about poetry at universities and colleges that include Oxford University, Nottingham University, Bradford University and Tower Hamlets College.

In April 2012 he performed at the Venezuelan Embassy alongside dub-poet Linton Kwesi Johnson as part of an event to mark the defeat of the US backed coupe which aimed to assassinate President Hugo Chavez in 2002.

In September 2012 Anaxagorou supported US comedy legends Dick Gregory and Paul Mooney at the Brixton Academy.

Collaborations

Anaxagorou has collaborated with a number of artists including singer/songwriter Josh Osho on a track called The Voice which was released by Universal Records in June 2012 on his debut album L.I.F.E. His poem Dialectics was also used by the Cirque du Soleil and The Nevada Ballet Theater in a dance piece choreographed by Mukhtar O.S Mukhtar entitled ARTist.

In July 2013 he wrote and performed the poetry for a piece of physical theater which was produced Tangled Feet entitled One Million. It was part of the Greenwich and Docklands International Festival and held in Artillery Square in Woolwich for two nights.

Literary works

Card Not Accepted - 2009
Poems To Maya - 2009
Pale Remembered with Rebecca Salter - 2009
The Lost Definition of Hope - 2010
Let This Be The Call - 2010
Returning Stranger - 2010
A Sad Dance - 2011
A Difficult Place To Be Human - 2012

References

External links

Persondata
Name	Anaxagorou, Anthony
Alternative names
Short description	British writer
Date of birth	1983
Place of birth	United Kingdom, London
Date of death
Place of death

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.