Luke Wright Launches Poet Laureate Bid At Edinburgh Fringe

Luke Wright returns too the Fringe with his first ALL NEW poetry show in three years - and a bid for poetry's top job.

With a new Poet Laureate due to be announced in 2019 Wrighty's chucking his hat in the ring. But let's be honest, he's a dark horse at best. He rejected his invite to the palace in 2012 and he's really got to stop penning all those one-vowelled invectives about Tory politicians if he's to get a look in.

Described by The Independent as' One of the funniest and most brilliant poets of his generation', Luke really does care about Britain, so he's on a mission to write poems that might be able to unite a nation divided by austerity and Brexit.

'Pulsating poetic story-telling' The Guardian

Can it be done? Can one poet ever really represent an entire nation? Even one whose work has been described as 'Pulsating, poetic story-telling' by The Guardian.

And just who are these previously laureled rogues? Luke delves into the murky world of poets laureate past: the heroes, the villains, and ones who didn't even write poetry.

The centre-piece of the show, as always, will be Luke's own blistering verse. Big-hearted and quick witted, Wright's poems have been lauded by everyone from Patti Smith to Blur bassist Alex James. Truly a wordsmith and raconteur at the top of his game, he's a Fringe First winner, a Stage Award winner (for acting, no less!) and he's been the Fringe's favourite poet for fifteen years. In 2019, by coincidence, he celebrates the twentieth anniversary of his first gig. So maybe he can pull it off?

Luke Wright tours the world each year with his unique brand of poetry and can often be seen opening for John Cooper Clarke. His verse documentaries on Channel 4 have been enjoyed by millions and his poems can often be heard on BBC Radios 3 & 4, sometimes further afield. He curates the spoken word line-ups at Port Eliot Festival, Festival Number 6 and The Edinburgh International Book Festival. No less a personage than Patti Smith praised his 'Cool poems'

Luke's multi award winning verse plays What I Learned From Johnny Bevan and Frankie Vah were huge Fringe hits and subsequently toured extensively to huge critical and audience acclaim. To date he has published five books.

Luke Wright, Poet Laureate runs from 13-25 August at Bar Bados (Venue 32) as part of PBH's Free Fringe.

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/luke-wright-poet-laureate