Francis H Powell author of Flight of Destiny and other stories
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      • Scottish Poets
      • Jonnie Dalton
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      • Okorie Harrison
      • interview with Meo
      • interview with Mark Blickley
      • interview with Christopher T. Dabrowski
  • Francis H Powell interviews with other authors
    • Interview with J. C. Michael
    • interview with Gavin Hill
    • Interview with Morris E Graham
    • Interview with Wally Runnels
    • interview with John Nicholl
    • interview with Rob Same
    • interview with Elizabeth Oberbrunner
    • Interview with Michael Wilkins
    • Interview with Karina Kantas
    • Interview with Justin Bienvenue
    • interview with James Hershey Jr
    • Interview with Brian Parker
    • interview with Roma Gray
    • interview with Rebecca Reid
    • interview with Samual Friedman
    • interview with Cynthia Vespia
    • Mark Anthony Tierno
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    • interview with Jean Lowe Carlson
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AN INTERVIEW WITH  neal zetter






Tell everybody a little about yourself


I am a London-based award-winning author/comedy poet who has had six poetry books published and four more due in the next 2-3 years. Although I work with all ages, most days I am in schools performing and running fun poetry writing workshops (pre-pandemic of course!).  

You have compered some poetry and stand up events, can you tell us some funny happenings and some of the people you have worked with?

This could be a book itself! Funny things include me performing to an audience of three (a fellow poet, his wife and his GP), seeing a famous comedian nearly have a fight with a drunken audience member on stage (no-one was hurt in the end) and another accidentally breaking the equipment/PA after falling over his own mic lead.

Acts I have worked with include Harry Hill, Phil Jupitas, Omid Djalili, Michael Rosen, John Cooper Clarke and many more. 

What kind of places have you performed in, which was the strangest?

Schools, libraries and poetry/comedy clubs in London's West End are the most regular places for 'gigs' but I have performed at a funeral, on holiday to our tour party, in the middle of a league 2 football pitch before a game and at quite a few open air music events in parks. 

Would you/have you read poetry on zoom?

Yes, I am running quite a few sessions at the moment. I have just completed an event with a school in Coventry, have ones in Greenwich  and Cambridge next week, although they are free of charge as I am furloughed. 

Was your creativity affected in any way during the lockdown? Did being lockdown make you feel inspired or deflated?

As I have so much more time I have written a huge amount of poems during lockdown, around 40, more than double my normal output of a poem a week.

Was it therapeutic doing creative work during lockdown?

I think so: It keeps my mind active, inspires others which in turn inspires me again and it helps me to express the feelings and observations I have about what is going on during the Covid crisis. 

How did you occupy your time?

Writing, free Zoom sessions, social media, reading, walking, cycling, catching up online with friends and family, listening to music, podcasts, movies, tv, gardening. Not bored at all although, I can't wait to get back into schools.

What inspires most of your poems?

Real life experiences: people I meet, places I go to, things I hear on the news, read in books, see in movies etc. 

Do you have any favourite poems, from all the poems you have written?

Too many to pick from as I have written over 900. But I often think it's the latest one I have done (at any time) as the latest has to always be the best!

Do you remember the first poem you ever wrote or one of the first?

Yes - it's in my book, Bees in My Bananas, just in the introduction, as I was only six when I wrote it. Buy the book and find it!

Do you ever think of poems before going to sleep or just after waking up?

All the time including in the middle of the night when I wake up, in the shower, when out walking or shopping etc.

Do you hand write poems or go directly on to your computer?

Usually draft by hand in my notebook then edit on computer.

Do you ever give up on poems you have started?

Extremely rarely, maybe one a year if that.

Do you do any other creative activities?

No but would love to pursue painting or photography if I ever have time, which I won't!

Do you only focus on poetry or do you also write prose?

Poetry, poetry, poetry!

Do your poems ever have strong messages?

Yes, I do write more serious poems for all ages but often I find my poetry using humour to make a serious point.

How would you describe the tone of your poems?

Normally funny, rhyming, rhythmic and very structured. But, as I suggest above, some are more serious, do not rhyme, have no rhythm or set structure. It's interesting and inspiring to have variation as a writer!

If you had to write a poem about yourself, how would it start?

Nearly all my poems are written in the first person and most of them as if I am child. I don't try to do this but it's the way they pop out of my pen and this approach helps me to relate more strongly to young audiences (in my head I still think like a child so that's why this happens!).

For more information on me please see

Website: cccpworkshops.co.uk (I can take orders for signed/dedicated books via this site)
Twitter: @nealzetterpoet
Google me and see what I have been up to visiting schools etc.







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  • Home page
  • Anthology for coronavirus
  • Francis H Powell interviewed
  • Images of Flight of Destiny
  • Contact
  • meet the poets of Together Behind Four Walls
    • Andrew Tyler >
      • Interview with Seadeta Osmani
      • Interview with Harry Weiss-Jones.
      • interview with Cynthia Vespia
      • Interview with Josiane Vincent
      • Interview with Laura Mucha
      • Interview with Chris White
      • Interview with Carmina Masoliver
      • Interview with Crysse Morrison
      • Interview with Alan Durant
      • Interview with B the Poet
      • Interview with Arti RAI
      • Interview with Neal Zetter
      • Interview with Andrena Zawinski
      • Interview with Trevor Millum
      • Interview with Alison Brackenbury
      • Interview with Toby Campion US
      • Interview with Hadley James Hoyles
      • Interview with Leela Soma
      • Interview with Bernard Young
      • Interview with Coral Rumble
      • Interview with Sue Hardy -Dawson
      • Interview with Dom Conlon
      • Interview with D.L. Lang
      • Interview with AF Harrold
      • Interview with Monique Tell
      • Interview with Stewart Taylor
      • Interview with Cliff Forshaw
      • Interview with Professor Elemental
      • Interview with Marcus Christopherson
      • Interview with Stephanie Davidson
      • Interview with Brook Fischer
      • Interview with Rita Rana
      • Interview with Rhian Edwards
      • Interview with Josh Louis Lingg
      • Interview with Nina Zivancevic
      • Interview with Armand Ruhlman
      • Interview with Christine De Luca
      • Interview with Hélène Argo
      • Interview with Giselle Marks
      • Interview with Thomas Stockley
      • Interview with Giselle Marks
      • Interview with January L'Angelle
      • Interview with Martin Figura
      • Interview with Dennis Copelan
      • Interview with Laura Zuwa
      • Interview with Iam Thandi
      • Interview with Gail Meath
      • Interview with Alun Robert
      • Scottish Poets
      • Jonnie Dalton
      • Welsh writers
      • Okorie Harrison
      • interview with Meo
      • interview with Mark Blickley
      • interview with Christopher T. Dabrowski
  • Francis H Powell interviews with other authors
    • Interview with J. C. Michael
    • interview with Gavin Hill
    • Interview with Morris E Graham
    • Interview with Wally Runnels
    • interview with John Nicholl
    • interview with Rob Same
    • interview with Elizabeth Oberbrunner
    • Interview with Michael Wilkins
    • Interview with Karina Kantas
    • Interview with Justin Bienvenue
    • interview with James Hershey Jr
    • Interview with Brian Parker
    • interview with Roma Gray
    • interview with Rebecca Reid
    • interview with Samual Friedman
    • interview with Cynthia Vespia
    • Mark Anthony Tierno
    • Spotlight >
      • Spotlight Tiffany Appen
      • Spotlight on LaToya Wilson
    • interview with Jean Lowe Carlson
  • download interview questions for authors
  • Book Reviews
  • Tiffany Alpen, Kindred (The Birthrite Series, #2)
  • Together Behind Four Walls