Stephen Spencer-Fleet’s evocative, stripped-back style of poetry first appeared in the Itchy Monkey Press book Some of Us Scream, Some of Us Shout (2015). Entitled ‘I Changed My World,’ and delivered in the form of a short, prose-like poem, the author began with a declaration of intent: ‘From 1979 I felt that I needed to overthrow the government and change the world.’ He continued, ‘I started with a zine, a band and a leaflet home production line’ kick-starting an ‘urgent period of my life [which] brought me into contact with many great people, some formative life experiences and a type of radical politicisation that has stayed with me over the subsequent decades.’ Although he admits that his dream of overthrowing the government was a tad over ambitious, through ‘the simplicity and clarity of the message… I changed my world and that was good enough.’ Soon after, he contributed to Itchy Monkey’s And All Around Was Darkness (2017) with his poem ‘Stopping the City – A Micro Memory,’ where he recounted his experiences from the Stop the City demonstrations organised to disrupt the activities of financial institutions in London in the early 1980s. Again, the language is sparse and provocative. ‘We were sick of the fucking war machine,’ he notes, ‘sick of the City brokering death.’
Spencer-Fleet’s next appearance was in Factories Run by Robots (2018), an anthology of poetry where the author contributed poems that covered the stark reality of austerity (‘Hell Right Here’), political coercion (‘The Script’) and punk (‘The Tao of Punk’). ‘Every reader will have their favourite,’ said Ged Baby in his review of Factories… for Louder Than War. ‘Stephen Spencer-Fleet is probably mine,’ he noted, adding ‘he’s beautifully concise and tough like hardcore.’ Indeed, Spencer-Fleet’s poetry is often redolent, utilising a stripped-back style of writing that draws upon single words and short phrases as forms of expression. There is a nod to Kerouac’s stream of consciousness; to William Burroughs-style cut ups and visions; and to a punk template of shock tactics, of being raw and honest. I don’t want to ‘introduce’ the poems you have before you. I don’t want to give you a hint, or a forewarning of subject matter. All I can say is that you will not be disappointed. To paraphrase, Spencer-Fleet is tough: fucking hardcore.
Books cost £6 plus P&P.
Please contact Stephen Spencer-Fleet on: sspencerfleet@gmail.com
