As her name suggests, Kate Tempest is a veritable storm of talent and energy. 10 years ago she was rapping at strangers on night buses; now she is a multi-award-winning poet, published playwright and respected recording artist.

After touring all over the world with her band, Sound of Rum, writing plays for the Royal Shakespeare Company, featuring on songs with Sinéad O Connor and Bastille, even performing an original poem for Aung San Suu Kyi, she has decided to concentrate on several solo ventures, including a CD/DVD/book package, Everything Speaks in its Own Way, and a new collection of poetry, published by Picador next year.

“I’m taking a bit of a breather from gigging to just get my head down and do some writing – which has been amazing,” Kate tells LitroTV at spoken word and flash fiction event Hammer & Tongue Hackney.

Kate has been present on the London spoken word scene since she was a 16 year-old, pestering MCs to let her on the mic at raves. You can feel her energy and musicality with words as they trip off her tongue and into the audience. Hammer & Tongue runs nights in London, Bristol, Brighton, Oxford and Cambridge, showcasing some of the country’s most innovative and exciting slam poets, spoken word artists and story tellers.

What’s next for Kate? “I’m working on an album with a music producer and a novel that goes along side it,” she says. “So yeah – loads of writing.”

For more information on Kate’s work, visit her website.

Listen to Kate talking about Everything Speaks in Its Own Way, and some poems from the book, on the LitroLab podcast.

Henry Fry

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