Lexicon – A Polyvocal Poem

Created by Kayo Chingonyi in collaboration with sound designer Axel Kacoutié.

Kayo Chingonyi's latest book, Kumukanda (Chatto & Windus, 2017) was a Guardian and Telegraph book of the year and won the Dylan Thomas Prize and a Somerset Maugham Award. Kayo was a Burgess Fellow at the Centre for New Writing, University of Manchester, and an Associate Poet at The Institute of Contemporary Arts, London. He has performed his work at festivals and events around the world, is Poetry Editor for The White Review, and an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Durham University.

Axel Kacoutié is a multi-award-winning audio artist and poet who's been working with sound, music and words to challenge the familiar and revive the magic in the mundane. His work has featured on the BBC, Channel 4, NOWNESS and the Barbican. He is also the Sound Designer and theme composer for the Guardian's daily news podcast, Today in Focus.

Commissioned by Poet in the City and the British Library for Collections in Verse 2021 ©

Latest

Fashion students create poetry

We went to Central St Martins to make poems...
Newcastle Zine Launch

Join us for the launch of our Newcastle Zine
'Zine Making in Newcastle

Reports from our Newcastle 'zine making session
Poet in the City looks back at 2023

A reminder of the events and activities that made Poet in the City's year

I Find You by Lizzie Lovejoy

Commissioned by Poet in the City with the generous support of the Sidney E Frank Foundation as part of The Exchange, Newcastle 2023
Collective Noun (A Wave of Women) by Lizzie Lovejoy

Commissioned by Poet in the City with the generous support of the Sidney E. Frank Foundation as part of The Exchange, Newcastle 2023
Minutes of the Meeting of Women's Workspace by Kirsten Luckins

Commissioned by Poet in the City with the generous support of the Sidney E. Frank Foundation as part of The Exchange, Newcastle 2023
Road Map by Sky Hawkins

Commissioned by Poet in the City with generous support from Sidney E. Frank Foundation as part of The Exchange, Newcastle 2023.
A Woman is Reborn as a Yard of Red Silk - Jasmine Cooray

Commissioned by Poet in the City, University of Liverpool and Loughborough University as part of Poets in Vogue
Carbon Red - Fiona Curran

Commissioned by Poet in the City, University of Liverpool and Loughborough University as part of Poets in Vogue
draft and sew - Remi Graves

Commissioned by Poet in the City, University of Liverpool and Loughborough University as part of Poets in Vogue
How to Wear Drama - Dzifa Benson

Commissioned by Poet in the City, University of Liverpool and Loughborough University as part of Poets in Vogue
Love Couplets for Anne Sexton - Mona Arshi

Commissioned by Poet in the City, University of Liverpool and Loughborough University as part of Poets in Vogue
Hopping Mad - Rue Collinge

Commissioned by Poet in the City and University of Warwick with generous support from the ESRC as part of Newcastle's Poetry Exchange Hub

Contact us
Support Producers
Herstory Festival

Herstory is bringing together poets, activists, librarians, curators and communities to explore the unfinished fight for women’s rights in the UK through poetry, performance and discussion.
About Us

Poet in the City creates trailblazing poetry events that change the narrative and challenge the status quo. Our commissions help people and places tell their stories through deep community engagement. We are developing the next generation of poetry producers and establishing new routes into arts production. From poetry in libraries to arts centres, car parks to community venues and festivals to music halls, we present poets who can enlarge our worlds.
People

Meet the Poet in the City team
Herstory Creative Call Out: What Does a City Look Like that Cares For Women?

We're inviting you to contribute to Herstory Festivals in Newcastle & Exeter.
Take part

There are so many ways to be a part of the Poet in the City community. Join our thriving network of volunteers, apply for a place on our Poet in the City Producers training programme or Be a Friend and contribute to the financial wellbeing of the organisation.
Woolwich Speaks

Discover a new epic poem about Woolwich via a colourful poetry street trail and online film this August
About the programme

Join the new generation of poetry producers shaping the future of live poetry.
Watch, Listen, Read

A unique collection of audio interviews, podcasts and films featuring the poets and speakers who have appeared in Poet in the City events over the last ten years.