Dreadlockalien

Working and based in the midlands, Dreadlockalien AKA Richard Grant was the Birmingham Poet Laureate of 2006. Now appearing regularly as a conference keynote speaker, performance poet and facilitating arts educational workshops, Dreadlockalien was originally a chef by trade. He turned his hand to rhymes after reciting some dub lyrics as a poetry event whilst a mature student at Warwick University. Starting to read patois and inspired by Benjamin Zephaniah, amongst others, Dreadlockalien found his feet as a performance poet. In 2001 he founded the region’s largest spoken word collective – the New October Poets. His poetry has taken him on British Council trips to Chennai and Poland. He is also the director of the West Midlands Youth Poetry Slam Team.