Luke Wright (poet)

Life and career

Raised in northeast Essex, Wright is an alumnus of the Colchester Sixth Form College. There he began writing and performing poetry at age 17 after seeing Martin Newell and John Cooper Clarke perform.

He formed the poetry collective, Aisle16, with Ross Sutherland in 2000. Aisle16 created three poetry/theatre shows uses video and projections: Powerpoint (2004), Poetry Boyband (2005) and Aisle16's Services To Poetry (2006). Services to Poetry was commissioned by Candida Lycett Green to commemorate the centenary of her father, John Betjeman's, birth; it was made into a film. Aisle16 have continued to develop new ensemble work via their London-based "literary cabaret" night, HOMEWORK. Wright has been involved in a number of these and in 2011, returned to the Edinburgh Fringe with Aisle16 members, Tim Clare and John Osborne, for Aisle16 R Kool.

In 2006, Wright began creating solo shows of his poetry. By 2015, he had created nine. He is the author of several books and pamphlets. Wright tours as a support act for John Cooper Clarke.

Since 2006, Wright has curated the Poetry Arena at Latitude Festival. In 2007 Wright also hosted and programmed "Luke Wright's Poetry Party" in The Meadows In Edinburgh over two days in August, it was the Fringe Festival's first dedicated poetry venue in its sixty-year history.

In 2009, Wright set-up Nasty Little Press, an independent publishing house focusing on poets better known for their live performance work.

Stage shows

Publications

"Live From The Hellfire Club", (with Aisle16) - 2005, Egg Box
"Who Writes This Crap?" (with Joel Stickley) - 2007, Penguin (also a live show in 2008)
"High Performance" - 2009, Nasty Little Press
"The Vile Ascent of Lucien Gore and What The People Did" - 2011, Nasty Little Press
"Mondeo Man", 2013, Penned in the Margins