“Poetry is like water, it takes on the vessel it’s in” Joelle Taylor (BBC Radio 4: Front Row – 11 Jan 22)

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The spoken word poetry organisation Apples and Snakes celebrated turning 40 in 2022, and with any significant anniversary came a time of reflection. They thought long and hard about how they came together, what they'd achieved and where to go next with spoken word and performance poetry.

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They could name all the incredible poets they'd nurtured and collaborated with over the years from the budding talent to the more established names … But that was not in the spirit of what they were about.

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Apples and Snakes is, and always will be, about recognising and celebrating the art form and appreciation for spoken word, striving to work with the individual and their circumstances and supporting talent to grow the industry.

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To help put this project together, they worked with Me. They commissioned 12 photographic works as part of Behind The Words, and together through my eyes, they wanted to show what a poet ‘looks like’ and dismantle the idea that you need to fit a particular mould to become one.

This is what a poet looks like.