Anthony Joseph | |
|---|---|
 Anthony Joseph, 2016 | |
| Born | (1966-11-12)12 November 1966 (age 58) |
| Occupation | Poet, novelist, musician and academic |
| Nationality | British-Trinidadian |
| Alma mater | Goldsmiths College,University of London |
| Notable works | Kitch: A Fictional Biography of a Calypso Icon (2018);Sonnets for Albert (2022) |
| Notable awards | T. S. Eliot Prize |
Anthony JosephFRSL (born 12 November 1966)[1] is a British/Trinidadian poet, novelist, musician and academic. In 2023, he was awarded theT. S. Eliot Prize for his bookSonnets for Albert.
Joseph was born inPort of Spain,Trinidad, where he was raised by his grandparents. He began writing as a young child and cites his main influences ascalypso,surrealism,jazz, the spiritualBaptist church that his grandparents attended, and the rhythms ofCaribbean speech. Joseph has lived in the United Kingdom since 1989.
In September 2004 he was chosen by Renaissance One andArts Council England as one of 50 Black and Asian writers who have made major contributions to contemporary British literature, appearing in the "A Great Day in London" photograph and performing at the event at theBritish Library.[2][3] In April 2005, he served as theBritish Council's first poet-in-residence atCalifornia State University, Los Angeles.[4]
Joseph holds a PhD in Creative Writing fromGoldsmiths College,University of London.[5] He has taught atLondon Metropolitan University,University of Surrey Roehampton,South Thames College,[6] andBirkbeck College.[7]
Joseph is the author of the poetry collectionsDesafinado (1994),Teragaton (1997),Bird Head Son (2009) andRubber Orchestras (2011). His debut novel,The African Origins of UFOs, was published bySalt Publishing in November 2006. Described as an "afro-psychedelic-noir, a poetic work of metafiction, mythology and afro-futurism",[citation needed] the book was endorsed byKamau Brathwaite,Linton Kwesi Johnson, andLauri 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."[8] Joseph 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 10-city tour of Germany and readings in the US.
Joseph also performs and records as a spoken-word vocalist. His debut album withThe Spasm Band band Leggo de Lion was released in April 2007 by Kindred Spirits. His collection of poetry,Bird Head Son, was published by Salt Publishing in February 2009, coinciding with the release of his albumBird Head Son. The album was recorded over two days inMeudon, France, with guestsKeziah Jones,Joseph Bowie, and vibraphonist David Neerman. Joseph's albumRubber Orchestras was released in August 2011. His poetry collection, also entitledRubber Orchestras, was published by Salt Publishing in November 2011.Time, his first solo album, was released on 3 February 2013. It was produced by American bassist and singerMeshell Ndegeocello. He has also guested on albums by Mop Mop andAdam Pierończyk.
In 2012, Joseph represented Trinidad and Tobago at thePoetry Parnassus Festival on London'sSouth Bank Centre.[9] He has also performed withJerry Dammers' Spatial AKA Orchestra.[10]
Caribbean Roots was released in June 2016 by Strut Records and Heavenly Sweetness.[11] In 2018Peepal Tree Press published his novelKitch: A Fictional Biography of a Calypso Icon.[12]Kitch was shortlisted for theRepublic of Consciousness Prize, theRoyal Society of Literature'sEncore Award, and long listed for theOCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature. In 2019, his third novel,The Frequency of Magic was published, also by Peepal Tree Press.[13]
In 2022, Joseph's collectionSonnets for Albert was shortlisted for theForward Prize for Best Collection.[14][15]
In 2023, he was awarded theT. S. Eliot Prize forSonnets for Albert, judged byJean Sprackland (chair),Hannah Lowe andRoger Robinson,[16] who described the book as "a luminous collection which celebrates humanity in all its contradictions and breathes new life into this enduring form".[17][18]
Joseph is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at King's College London.[19][20]
He was elected aFellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2023.[21]
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