Anthony Joseph

Anthony Joseph is a poet, novelist, musician and lecturer described as 'the leader of the black avant-garde in Britain'. His written work and performance occupies a space between surrealism, Jazz and the rhythms of Caribbean speech and music. He is the author of four poetry collections and a novel The African Origins of UFOs. In 2005 he was selected by the Arts Council of England and Renaissance One as one of 50 Black and Asian writers who have made major contributions to contemporary British literature.

He is the recipient of an Arts Council of England award as well as an AHRC scholarship to complete his doctoral thesis; a fictional biography of the legendary Trinidadian calypsonian Lord Kitchener. In summer 2014 BBC 3 plans to broadcast a documentary based on Joseph's thesis.
He has released four critically acclaimed albums, all released to coincide with book publications. His debut album Leggo de Lion (2007) featured lyrics taken from his novel The African Origins of UFOs. Bird Head Son followed in 2009, coinciding with the publication of his 3rd poetry collection. Rubber Orchestras was released in 2011, alongside a new collection of poems of the same title.

Anthony has collaborated with a range of artists, including Archie Shepp, Joseph Bowie, Laurent Garnier, Othello Molineaux, Malcolm Catto, Mop Mop, Robert Aaron, Roger Raspail, Keziah Jones, Jerry Dammers and most recently Meshell Ndegeocello who produced his most recent album 'Time'.

He lectures in creative writing at Birkbeck College, University of London.