Peter Spafford
Peter has written for theatre, TV, radio, music theatre, and opera.
His work has been performed in streets, hospitals, pub gardens, cathedrals, museums, prisons, and libraries.
His first collection of poetry, QUICK, was published by Valley Press in 2016 and, with photographer Lizzie Coombes, he has created over 300 Poem Portraits.
‘Humanity shimmers from every line he writes.’ - Mark Connors
‘Spafford is telling us beguiling, moving, often funny stories, and we should listen.’ - Andrew McMillan
Peter is currently working on
THE WEIGHT OF SMOKE
Poems by Sir Walter Raleigh set to music by Peter Spafford and Dave Bowie Jr.
Peter says: 'As I was drawn into his poetry, I became more and more immersed in the life and times of Raleigh. And as English identity increasingly becomes our background music in the wake of the 2016 Referendum, it seemed to me that vital questions surrounding the birth of the British/English Empire were encapsulated in the life and work of Raleigh.'
What remains of us as a people and a nation at this moment in our history? What does the sum of us weigh after Empire has burnt away? What will we see once the smoke has cleared?
For ten years he has been Director of Words at Chapel FM, where he presents spoken word programmes on the radio and organises a yearly festival, Writing On Air.
He is currently Artist in Residence at The Scott Creative Arts Foundation and Project Coordinator of Twins: Leeds/Dortmund 50.
