ABOUT THE JUDGES OF THE SENTINEL LITERARY QUARTERLY POETRY COMPETITION (JULY 2009)

Andy Willoughby has been performing his poetry/spoken word and musical collaborations nationally and internationally since 1996. Performances include support slots for Mark Stewart & The Mafia, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Tony Harrison, Francesca Beard and Matt Caley. He was Middlesbrough’s Poet Laureate 2003 – 2004. He has had poetry and plays commissioned by New Word Order Cabaret, BBC Radio 4 Today Programme, The Primary Care Trust, Helsinki City Council, Den Haag City Council amongst others, and has performed at The Poetry Café - London, Kiasma Museum of Modern Art - Helsinki, The Conference of Finn-Ugric Writers in Siberia, and The Morden Tower, Newcastle.

His poems have appeared in various anthologies including Oral: An Anthology of British Performance Poetry (Sceptre Press 1999), War on War (Sub Press 2004), The Flesh of The Bear (Ek Zuban 2004). His collections include The Wrong California: Middlesbrough Poet Laureate Poems (Mudfog 2004), Tough (Smokestack Books 2006). He has published a bi-lingual collaboration with the renowned Finnish writer Riina Katajavuori Peripheries (Ek Zuban 2007). His work has been translated into Japanese, Finnish, Italian, Swedish, Karelian, Russian and Dutch.

Bob Beagrie has performed at numerous festivals and venues nationally and internationally, including The Royal Festival Hall – South Bank Centre, Theatre Royal Newcastle, Crossing Borders Festival – Amsterdam, Kiasma Museum of Modern Art – Helsinki, Down By The Laiturri Festival – Turku, The Haganum Festival – Den Haag, The Dylan Thomas Centre – Swansea, The Poet’s Café – Silvers, Portugal and The Poetry Café London. He has received commissions from Arts Council England, The Hydrogen Jukebox Cabaret of The Spoken Word, Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council and Hartlepool Borough Council, The Laing Gallery Newcastle and Helsinki Refugee Centre. As well as collaborating with musicians he has also worked closely with visual artists on public artworks and with theatre company Three Over Eden.

Publications include, Gothic Horror (Mudfog Press 1997), Masque: The Art of The Vampyre (Mudfog Press 2000), Huggin & Muninn (Biscuit 2003), Endeavour: Newfound Notes (Biscuit 2004), Perkele – a bi-lingual pamphlet with Kalle Niinikangas (Ek Zuban 2006), Yoik (Cinnamon Press 2008). Forthcoming collection The Seer Sung Husband (Smokestack Books 2010). His work has also appeared in various anthologies and journals. His poetry has been translated into Urdu, Dutch, Finnish, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish.

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