BR•\ND: Anthony Joseph

Anthony Joseph

Anthony Joseph is a Trinidad-born poet, novelist and musician often described as ‘the leader of the black avant-garde in Britain’. He holds an MA in Creative Writing from Goldsmiths College, where he is also completing a PhD with an interest in experimental Caribbean poetry and life writing. His written work and performance fuse his Caribbean background with an experimental aesthetic. Joseph cites his main influences as ‘surrealism, Jazz and the rhythms of Caribbean speech and music’. He is the author of three poetry collections, Desafinado (1994), Teragaton (1998) and Bird Head Son (2009) and his first novel, The African Origins of UFOs was published in 2006. He performs internationally and tours with his band The Spasm Band with which he has released three critically acclaimed albums. Joseph also lectures in creative writing at Birkbeck College, University of London. His new collection, Rubber Orchestras, is published by Salt in Autumn 2011.