My Poetic Journey (so far)…
I have been writing and performing poetry for over ten years, making the jump to be a professional full-time artist at the end of 2016. Poetry has been my passion since I first discovered Scotland’s vibrant spoken word scene which I’m proud to say I’ve become an integral member - shaping the artform and the infrastructure for future generations. I co-founded of spoken word events organisation Sonnet Youth, which promoted regular monthly shows in cities across the country, digital performances, theatre productions, podcasts and education initiatives. I also founded digital writing collective The Scribbler’s Union - a weekly workshop series that went on to become a diverse poetry community boasting members all over the globe and launch the careers of a new generation of talented performers.
I have personally performed all over the world, from Hollywood to East Kilbride, including major festivals (BBC 6Music Festival, Glastonbury), Fringes (Edinburgh, Toronto, Vancouver), literary festivals (Edinburgh International Book Festival, Verve Poetry Festival) as well as large scale tours of the UK, Europe, Canada and the US. I have performed headline feature sets for the likes of Evidently (Manchester), Find The Right Words (Leicester), Raise The Bar (Bristol), Say Owt (York), Chelping (Leeds), Lingo (Dublin), Spoken Weird (Halifax), A Lovely Word (Liverpool), Spork Poetry (Exeter), Born Lippy (Newcastle) and countless others. I have also supported artists and public figures such as Akala, Saul Williams, George the Poet, Jackie Kay, Liz Lochhead, Sage Francis, The Silencers and Jeremy Corbyn MP.
I have published five books of poetry, with my most recent - Anxiety Music - released by Verve Press in September of 2022 to universal acclaim and promoted via a 22-date tour of the UK and Europe.
I am also part of the Nymphs and Thugs roster alongside the likes of Luke Wright and Salena Godden. They co-released my first spoken word/music record as Kevin P. Gilday & The Glasgow Cross, Experience Essential. Our second record, Pure Concrete, was funded by the PRS Foundation and released last year on Iffy Folk Records – making many end of year lists for best albums of 2020.