Jeremy Reed, born on a chip of rock off the French Normandy coast has been for decades Britain's most dynamic, adventurous, controversial and futures poet. Called by the Independent 'British poetry's glam, spangly, shape-shifting answer to David Bowie', his poetry, fiction and performances of his work are singularly inimitable in their opposition to grey mainstream poetry. He has published over 40 books of poetry, fiction and non-fiction, winning prestigious literary prizes like the Somerset Maugham Award, and was on his coming to live in London in the 1980s patronised by the artist Francis Bacon. His biggest fans are J.G. Ballard, Pete Doherty and Bjork who has called his work 'the most beautiful, outrageously brilliant poetry in the world.' Jeremy writes about every subject that British poetry considers taboo, glamour, pop, rock, sci-fi, cyber, mutant, gay, drugs, neuroscientific, the disaffected and outlawed, and the fizzy big city chemistry of the London in which he lives and creates. His performances solo, or with The Ginger Light are unrivalled in intensity. In recent years he has published the first book-length poem on Elvis Presley, Heartbreak Hotel (Orion), Saint Billie (Enitharmon) a book-length poem on Billie Holiday, Orange Sunshine, an epic poem on 1960s pop culture, Duck and Sally Inside and This is How You Disappear (both Enitharmon) a book of elegies for dead and missing friends, a biography of Anna Kavan, Stranger On Earth, a novel, The Grid (Peter Owen) and his upcoming book of poetry Piccadilly Bongo will contain a 4 track CD from the singer Marc Almond. He works and performs with musician Itchy Ear as The Ginger Light.
