Anthony Joseph

Anthony Joseph, photo by Mirabelwhite, 2016

Anthony Joseph is a British/Trinidadian poet, novelist, musician and academic.

Biography

Joseph was born in Trinidad and raised by his grandparents. He began writing as a young child and cites his main influences as calypso, surrealism, jazz, the spiritual Baptist church that his grandparents attended, and the rhythms of Caribbean speech. Joseph has lived in the UK since 1989.

In September 2004 he was chosen by Renaissance One and the Arts Council England as one of 50 Black and Asian writers who have made major contributions to contemporary British literature, appearing in the historic "A Great Day in London" photograph and performing at the event at the British Library.^[1][2] In April 2005, he served as the British Council's first poet-in-residence at California State University, Los Angeles.^[3]

Joseph holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Goldsmiths College, University of London.^[4] He has taught at London Metropolitan University, University of Surrey Roehampton, South Thames College,^[5] Birkbeck College and other institutions.^[6]

Joseph is the author of the poetry collections Desafinado (1994), Teragaton (1997), Bird Head Son (2009) and "Rubber Orchestras" (2011). His debut novel, The African Origins of UFOs, was published by Salt Publishing in November 2006. Described as an "afro-psychedelic-noir, a poetic work of metafiction, mythology and afro-futurism", the book was endorsed by Kamau Brathwaite, Linton Kwesi Johnson, and Lauri Ramey, who hailed it in her introduction as "a future fiction classic". Reviewing the book, Ali Alizadeh called Joseph "both a faithful heir and an agnostic rebel; a Black poet haunted by Africa's past as well as a bilingual post-modernist amused by the possibilities of the future. Contemporary literature doesn't come a lot more sophisticated and intriguing than this."^[7] Joseph subsequently received an Arts Council award to conduct a reading tour of the UK in support of the book. In 2007, the tour continued to Europe with a ten-city tour of Germany and readings in the US.

Joseph also performs and records with his band The Spasm Band. His debut album with the band Leggo de Lion was released in April 2007 by Kindred Spirits.

Joseph's third collection of poetry, Bird Head Son, was published by Salt Publishing in February 2009, coinciding with the release of his second album with The Spasm Band, also called Bird Head Son. The album was recorded over two days in Meudon, France, with guests including Keziah Jones, Joseph Bowie and vibraphonist David Neerman.

Joseph's third album with the Spasm Band, Rubber Orchestras, was released in August 2011. His fourth poetry collection, also entitled Rubber Orchestras, was published by Salt Publishing in November 2011.

In 2012, Joseph represented Trinidad and Tobago at the Poetry Parnassus Festival on London's South Bank.^[8]

Time, Joseph's fifth album and first solo work, was released on 3 February 2013. It was produced by American bassist and singer Meshell Ndegeocello.

Joseph's sixth album and second solo work, Caribbean Roots, was released in June 2016 by Strut Records and Heavenly Sweetness.^[9]

Bibliography

• Rubber Orchestras, Salt Publishing, 2011, ISBN 1-84471-819-0
• Bird Head Son, Salt Publishing, 2011, ISBN 1-84471-435-7
• The African Origins of UFOs, Salt Publishing, 2009, ISBN 1-84471-272-9
• Teragaton, Poison Engine Press, 1997, ISBN 0-9524152-1-6
• Desafinado, Poison Engine Press, 1994, ISBN 0-9524152-0-8

Discography

• Caribbean Roots, 2016
• Time, 2014
• Live in Bremen, 2013
• Rubber Orchestras, 2011
• Bird Head Son, 2009
• Leggo de Lion, 2007

References

External links

• Official website
• Anthony Joseph at British Council: Literature
• Anthony Joseph & The Spasm Band music video
• Anthony Joseph music video for 'Slinger'