Craig Charles Marks 50 Years of Poetry with Liverpool Tribute
The presenter and poet reflects on the city's influence on his creative journey.
Presenter Craig Charles is celebrating 50 years of performing poetry with a special tribute to Liverpool, the city he credits with shaping his artistic voice. The tribute coincides with National Poetry Day.
Charles began performing at Liverpool's Everyman Bistro basement venue, known for its open-mic events, by the age of 16. Within a year, he was showcasing his poetry on the BBC 2 show "Riverside."
"I just got stuck into that and started shouting from the rooftops my opinion on things," Charles recalled. "I was quite an angry young man, I suppose, but for some reason it resonated with people."
He described Liverpool's music and poetry scene as "really vibrant," attributing this to the city's characteristic response to hardship. "Liverpool has always had a different kind of attitude, especially to adversity," he said. "We make something out of it, we make a song, make a poem, make a football chant. We do something with it, and we've always had the gift of the gab."