“We live in tumultuous times, most of it terrifying, and I feel the writing of this, the narration of events, the documenting of these times is vital and an important part of my job.”
Salena Godden is one of Britain’s best-loved and foremost poets whose electrifying live performances have earned her a devoted following.
Salena Godden in conversation with John Siddique
Salena Godden speaking, remotely in lockdown, with her friend, the poet John Siddique.
Biography
Salena Godden is of Jamaican-Irish heritage and based in London. Salena has published several books, including poetry volumes Under The Pier (Nasty Little Press), Fishing in the Aftermath: Poems 1994-2014 (Burning Eye) and Springfield Road (Unbound).
The poem Pessimism is for Lightweights, from her poetry collection of the same name (Rough Trade Books, 2018), became a pubic poetry art piece on display outside the Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol and is now on permanent display at the Peoples History Museum in Manchester.
She is the author of well-known comic and political poetry anthems: My Tits Are More Feminist Than your Tits, Imagine If You Had To Lick It and Can’t Be Bovvered.
Her essays include Shade, published in award-winning anthology The Good Immigrant (Unbound); Skin, broadcast on The Essay, BBC Radio 3; We are The Champions, published in Others (Unbound); and Broken Biscuits, published in Smashing it! Working class artists on life, art and making it happen (Saqi).
Her latest album, LIVEwire, released by Nymphs and Thugs, was shortlisted for the Ted Hughes Award.
The writing of Salena Godden’s debut novel, Mrs Death Misses Death (Canongate), was followed in a BBC Radio 4 documentary.
