Interview with Sue Johns

Hello Poetry Lovers

Welcome back to the Talk Show Studio!

(Rapturous applause from the audience)

(Dobby scowls – the audience sit back cowed)

Yes, settle down, PL’s and welcome our esteemed guest and vibrant, clever poet Sue Johns!!

(Standing ovation as our glamorous guest glides on elegantly )

Welcome, Sue. So lovely to have you on here

(audience cheer in agreement)

Please tell us when poetry became a part of your life.

A pleasure, Heather. And Dobby.

(Bravely strokes Dobby. The audience are awed and Dobby purrs)

My primary school headmaster loved poetry and so he got me started at a very young age. But this encouragement didn’t continue at my grammar school and I left school at 15

Knowing nothing about poetry, I kept writing, mostly nonsense, but I grew up in a house without books. Poetry and literature didn’t feature.

I kept scribbling and in the 80’s I started writing ‘punk poetry’ and became known as a punk poet, initially in Cornwall and then in London. It was much later in life that I actually learnt anything about poetry.

I started writing formally and for the page. I got a BA Literature in my 40’s and eventually a MA Writing Poetry at 63. A late developer! But graduating from that was one of the highlights of my life.

All hail Tamar Yoselof, Glyn Maxwell, The Poetry School and my fab fellow students.

That is so impressive, Sue. You have a very classy poetry background. And what fantastic names there!

Who were your biggest influences ?

When I was very young it was whatever I heard at school, my teacher’s favourite was ‘Timothy Winters’ by Charles Causley, maybe that’s why I write about dark subjects.

As a punk poet, it was other other punk poets like Joolz Denby, and other performance poets on the London scene at the time: Joelle Taylor, Patience Agbabi, Steve Tasane.

I owe a lot to Bob Devereux, Patric Cunnane and all those connected to Ragged Trousered Cabaret/Dodo Modern Poets for giving me my first gigs.

The first formal poets I fell in love with were Sylvia Plath and Dylan Thomas (a bit predictable).

Since I starting studying poetry my influences are endless, I read a lot of poetry and I’ve fallen in love with form.

During my MA I drew a lot from Jacqueline Saphra, Fran Lock, Terrance Hayes and Glyn Maxwell, to name but a few.

Long standing favourites include Sharon Olds, Simon Armitage, Christopher Reid, Elizabeth Bishop, Carol Ann Duffy, Mark Doty and Don Paterson. More recent faves are John McCullough, Caroline Bird, Rishi Dastidar, Inua Ellams, Kim Moore and Diane Seuss, I could go on and on.

A fantastic array of poets, Sue. I know Steve Tasane, wonderful isn’t he.

Are you working on anything at the moment?

I have recently completed my second full collection (if you exclude self published work) and I’m sending it around to potential publishers. It is largely work from my MA and is predominantly about Women’s mental health. Fingers Crossed.

Oh, we want to get our mitts on that collection, don’t we PL’s

(Audience cheer in agreement)

Now, what’s the best gig you’ve ever done, and the Worst?!

I’ve had lots of lovely gigs over many years. I think some of the more memorable ones are from when I was a ‘full on’ performance poet and did monologues with costumes/visuals/music.

I remember some great nights at the Poetry Cafe, Covent Garden. One night I did a piece called ‘Mud Sticks’ about my teenage years and apparently ‘brought the house down’.

Those days were a lot of fun. I’d go from work, change in a toilet, perform and then we’d all go off to a club or all night bar, usually the infamous Troy Club, until 3am, get a couple of hours sleep and then back to work!!!

I think we’ve all had gigs where no one or almost no one turns up, when the organiser has to decide whether to put a show on for one man and a dog. Or say f**k it and just get pissed.

Whatever I just love poetry and poets. We’re a family❤️❤️❤️

You were ravers! And you’re so absolutely right. We are a family.

How about we get up that Troy Club now? I’ve only got to change my shoes!