Good afternoon. Welcome to funky media radio. You're listening to me piano Catchpole, aka funky cyber grand anti day in the recording virtual room. I have somebody that we met quite some time ago now. And it's the lovely Peter. Hey, good afternoon, Peter.

Afternoon. It's good to be back.

Well, thank you for joining us now. Just to remind people we first met you virtually speaking on due to the world closing down, which was like the world is close today, which was the name of your poem un Brahmi. Bard. Well, just to remind everybody who you are what you do.

I'm a poet from Birmingham. I've had a couple of collections over the last couple of years. But since the lockdown started, I wrote a poem back in April called The world is closed. And it just went viral. When that crazy that on the back of it, I've brought out a new book. And it's been really well received across the world. So that's right now.

Yeah. And you became a bit of an internet sensation in America as well if I recall, the last time we spoke, they were actually studying your work, because of that way?

Yes, correct. The lady who was actually studying my work has actually got back in touch. And she's used it in her last semester with the children to talk about how poems are written and so forth, and about sort of the current state of the world at the moment.

So you do have the world is close today, and then you followed it up with the world is open.

Yeah, the world is waiting.

Yeah, it's still not fully open.

That's right.

Yeah, it's kind of a bit of the Hokey Cokey at the moment is in our in now, isn't it? So yeah. And tell me a little bit about the collection that you've got. And I love the title to it. dv days?

Do band-aids. Yeah. And that was published on the eighth of October. Yeah.

October Yeah. I wanted to create something that was sort of you could read, you know, when you're having a bad day, when it's raining outside, be cold, you're going into the winter, and you just want to pull the day they have a cup of chocolate and just just just read. And that's why when it's great, really poems that make you feel better.

Oh, excellent parents and make you feel better. That's really cool. So yeah, it's nice, then isn't it to snuggle up, you want to read something that's gonna make you feel a little bit more optimistic when the world outside is feeling a little bit dull and overcast? So it has like been for the Brahmi Bard since your, your fame and things like that?

Well, I'm quite busy. I mean, like I said, I've had messages from across the world. It's been really, really well received the new book in America. Literally, as of this morning, the book is number two on Amazon. Wow. Or British and Irish poetry. So I'm hoping to get to number one, but I can't seem to knock Shakespeare off there for some reason.

Oh, that flipping blade, you know, it gets in the way, doesn't

he? Yeah, all the time, all the time. Um, but, but obviously luck said it's, it's really nice to see that people are, they're putting reviews on Amazon, they're messaging me about how my words have given them a bit of hope, bringing them back together during the sort of times which is really nice, really, because that's what I wanted the poetry to do.

And then locally in the Birmingham area of you do you get to do any recitals and things like that? How's that going under the K well, sections, etc. But

that's been very difficult. Obviously, getting to do that. But the mayor of Birmingham and the street he's press secretary has actually messaged me about getting some of my work showcased possibly to do with the new HS two developments, but that's in the early stage at the moment. Because he knows that I write work or Mark poetry around them sort of themes around Birmingham, the local area, but But yeah, in Birmingham itself, I wouldn't say I'm a celebrity, I won't go that far. But um, I've had a lot of a lot of very good feedback. And my name has been a lot more known in the last year or so. So

that's cool because you've also you have got, I think it's a lovely voice. You've got that hints of brown, but it's actually quite soft, isn't it? So do you get recognised perhaps if people hear your voice?

Yes, yes. It comes across. I don't see a lot of sound from me. But as soon as I open my mouth for people who are from a different area would say, Oh, you know, the Peaky Blinders strike. But I don't hear it until I listen to myself back to be honest with you. So

it's only a hint knows very soft. That's why I think it's a different kind of accent. So I think it kind of stands out. I always think that you read your parents best as well. I know you've had them remind us of the celebrities that you've had reading your parents,

Christopher power. The actor. He's got an actual film coming out next year and he's asked me to write a poem for the film. That's the other bit of news that I've had as well. So that should be that it's going to be based on his life. So he wants me to write a poem about his life, which I've already started writing it for him. So that's in like I said, the early stage as well. But yeah, him to do a voiceover was really sort of touching in a way because he's well known in Shakespearean circles. Right. Okay. Yeah. Yeah,

that like I said, though, I still think he pulled it off better.

Sorry, Christopher, you know, but honestly, not that you did.

Obviously, I always say that poet knows how to read his own poems.

Cool. Cool. Cool. So we could actually see you at the Oscars then at some point, as part of like, contributing script or something like that.

That's that's the aim. That's obviously the goal in life really, to be painful. No, it's not. It's not really not really about the money side of it at the moment. I mean, I'll probably change your mind in years to come. But it's more about getting out there really, and, and putting literary back on the map. Because it's a shame that I feel a lot of people don't pick up a book and read anymore as much as they used to.

Hmm, what about like, even though Kindle or your parents on coming? Yeah,

they are. They're doing really well on that, which, like I said, I'm thankful for the technology, but I just want the device to be one way you pick the book, or you snuggle down.

And you just read and you actually feel you actually fear in your fingers and don't do as well, it adds a little bit more atmosphere.

Yeah, cuz I always said to them, the only worst, the worst thing of Throne of occupy is not reading it. Right? Yeah.

Or control. click away. Do people do that?

The people do believe it on I've had people I've known people. I don't know how to do that. So yeah, yeah. Yeah. Now you don't want to do that.

So what's next for you then? So I guess you're you're talking to lots of people about the book and things like that.

Yes. Yeah. I'm in conversations with so many people. I mean, literally, the notifications after turn them off on the phone sometimes. Oh, okay. You Mr. Deputy. It just, it just, it just gets a lot. Sometimes. Obviously, when I've met people, it's unsigned in Australia, happy from Australia, message me about the book. And to be honest with you, the next thing after this, obviously, would be next year, right in children's poetry. That's, that's gonna be the next plan, which I've already got the foundation. So that's it. And I've also got the foundations for number two collections of poetry after this one. So there's a lot more.

Wow. So you've been really prolific, haven't you?

Yeah, I find it really June lockdown. Especially I find it really easy to write. I don't know why in times of hardship, and, and stuff like that. It's really, it's really easy to get the words out.

Okay, and so let's just remind us, you've got the world is closed, just go through the the order. Have you? Is it the two of the three? You've written about the crisis at the moment?

It's the to the to the world, and the world is waking up.

Yeah. So Oh, yeah. So you can't do the world is open yet? Because we haven't reached that point. But do you feel like there might be some kind of segue at the moment that you could write about with the we were just chatting beforehand that there are more restrictions coming and things like that? Does

that? Does that give you some inspiration for anything? Yeah, it does. I mean, especially, I mean, as we were talking before, it does come into my head that Boris Johnson said, there'll be tears this year, but we never fought the sorts of tiers one, two, and three, though. That might be something I put into a poem, to be honest. I mean, I've written one as well called the human race, which is about the sort of times as well, but also about the Black Lives Matter movement, and things like that. So. So I'm trying to write stuff that is topical. But we're so lucky said we're caught in between at the moment the world sort of on snooze should be. Yeah. Do you think anybody could do what you do? What would your top tips be for somebody who's thinking, Oh, yeah, I'd like to give it a go. I think it's basically just write, write whatever you think. Try not to correct yourself when you're writing, to be honest. Because when you write something down, it's usually your initial thought. It's your gut feeling. And people tend to go back and make a cup of what they write. And I don't don't think I don't think that's the right way to do it to do is just let your thoughts flow, really

an instinctive kind of message sorry about the dogs in the background.

No, I've got one. It's not a problem.

So you just think I saw I could give it a go. And we could have a chat about it. And you could tell me anything could do maybe we should have some poetry classes as part of Frankie radio.

That would be that that would be The next thing I'm hoping to open operate is to try and get into school as well to teach poetry. Just get just get kids going about whatever they want to write about freedom of expression.

Yeah, absolutely. And not being afraid to put those feelings out there. So it's probably something that would have been really helpful with, like mental health and things like that.

Yes.

Yeah. Cool.

So, um, we will look forward to seeing you. So where can we get a copy of DVDs at the moment, just run us through where we can buy a copy. Okay. All online, you can go to amazon.com at UK amazon.com. You can go to Waterstones, but not on the high street just yet. You'd have to be online. And if you just type into Google, it'll, it'll be the second that comes up. Okay, cool. So just type in that and then obviously, all free books will come off on the latest collection be there as well.

Thank you, Dave. Well, listen, well, we're going to speak to you again soon because I know you got some great poems that we're going to be listening to with regards to Remembrance Sunday. It's not far away now. And so thank you very much for joining me today.

Not a problem at all. It's, it's actually really good to obviously Express express the poetry of the radio as well, to people who actually really wants to listen. It's really nice.

Thank you, Peter. Well, good luck to you. I must be GC perfect. Thanks very much. Thank you. Bye.

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