Poets Joe and Mike bring their 'verbal happy slapping' to Hull Truck

Poetry, for those who might have thought differently, has moved on from the "trees and flowers" stuff.

In the hands of Hull poets Mike Watts and Joe Hakim it's been called a "verbal happy slap" – more likely to dwell on boy racers or gambling addiction than gentle reflections on nature.

Joe and Mike – two performance poets now making a name for themselves nationwide – speak their work and celebrate the accent of their native city.

And with a new night at Hull Truck Theatre – Write To Speak – they're aiming to put Hull on the national spoken word map.

Mike said: "A lot of people from outside Hull see it as a sports city, but there's a huge cultural element here. There is a literary heritage with people like Philip Larkin, who was one of the most highly regarded poets of the 20th century. We want to promote what is happening here, now.

"We are not afraid to perform in our own accents – one of the things we decided early on was not to force ourselves to pronounce our 'h's'.

"Our work is informed by where we live. It is not about trees and flowers, it is social commentary."

The first of the Write To Speak events is at Hull Truck Theatre this Wednesday. Two further events will follow at the venue on Monday, June 29 – when the guest will be a rising name in the scene, Luke Wright – and on Wednesday, July 15.

The difference between spoken word and traditional poetry recitals is in the presentation. Where once you'd have someone behind a stand reading work, Joe and Mike memorise their poetry and perform it.

They compare spoken word to a night at the theatre or stand-up, with both unafraid to engage with gritty issues.

"We tackle things from betting shop culture to boy racers," said Joe.

"It's about the day-to-day things you see but we do not demean the city when we perform – we are saying that it has the same problems as anywhere else."

Both Mike and Joe, who are regular performers at poetry clubs in London, hope to encourage others to get up on stage and perform their work.

"Writing something and performing it on stage is a really good way to get rid of frustrations and express yourself," said Joe.

"People can be a bit suspicious of poetry, but giving them the opportunity to perform is a wonderful thing.

"All it is going to cost them is a bit of bravado."

"The most important thing for us is to promote this city – there's a lot of talent here," added Mike.

"We want to take Hull from the Crap Towns book and into the pages of the Times Literary Supplement."

* Write To Speak is on Wednesday, 8pm, at Hull Truck Theatre, Ferensway, Hull. Tickets are £5 for the performance, which is suitable for oer-16s