Catherine Brogan

‘Catherine is witty, wise and a great entertainer. Her poetry makes the personal political & the political personal’  Paul Burston, Time Out

‘Self confident and with an assured delivery she holds the audience. A stand-out performer.’ Wonston Plowes, Write Out Loud

“Catherine Brogan is a feisty, funny and thought-provoking performer and a deserving ‘Utter!’ Paid Gig contest winner, who plunged into the spirit of the Edinburgh Festival with her show OUTspoken. It’s always a pleasure to see her go off on stage like a firework.” Richard Tyrone Jones, Director of Utter Spoken Word

Winner of  BBC Edinburgh Fringe Poetry Slam 2011 Catherine Brogan’s performance poetry has appeared on The Today Programme, at Edinburgh Fringe, Cheltenham & Canterbury Literary Festivals and the Radio 4 UK Slam. Orginally from N.Ireland, Catherine has supported Scroobius Pip and won numerous poetry slams. Highlights 2011 Supported Thom Yorke and Massive Attack at Bank of Ideas, Occupy London BBC Edinmbrugh Fringe Poetry Slam Winner Small World Festival Lounge on the Farm Festival Bang Said the Gun – Golden Gun Winner Swindon Literary Festival Performed all over Nairobi, Kenya in Jan 2010 Performing and interviewed on Radio 4 Today programme on New Year’s day Edinburgh  Fringe – Outspoken with Sophia Blackwell Cheltenham Literary Festival – got my own slot and was a finalist in the Lit Fest’s Slam Canterbury Literary Festival – Invited to perform in the slam, proper plush hotel room, thank you apples and snakes! Larmer Tree Festival – thanks to Helen Gregory, poet and programmer of Poetry and Words at Glastonbury Festival who gave me 2 slots at this amazing Folk and world music Fest 2009 Winner Farrago Best Slam performer 09 & 08 Represented London in the Semi Final of the Radio 4 UK Slam Representing the UK at the Eurpean Slam Days in Berlin A Potted History of my Poetry I started at the age of 6 winning gold medals for saying (other people’s) poems at the Feis in my home town of Omagh, N.Ireland. Around this time I started writing poetry and bring asked to perform it around my primary school. Went to Uni in York, studied Politics and English (perfect poetry degree), set up a poetry night, got into hip hop, Mcing, was part of Soul Spun Soundsystem, now the biggest event promoters in York. Moved to Belfast Jan – Jun 2008 and got my first big break in Belfast, running poetry workshops, supporting Scroobius Pip vs Dan le Sac and Skinny Man and winning the Belfast Poetry Cup Since moving to London in June 2008 I’ve thrown herself into the poetry scene. I also host a monthly night called Speech Motion and host and programme other events from time to time.