Mondeo Man

Click the Extracts tab above to read three poems from Mondeo Man: 'Thaxted', 'A Hornchurch Commuter' and 'Houses that Used to Be Boozers'. "One of the funniest and most brilliant poets of his generation" – Johann Hari, The Independent "The best young performance poet around" – The Observer Explosive political satire and acerbic wit leap from stage to page in this hotly anticipated debut collection from Luke Wright. Mondeo Man celebrates and laments a country of disappearing pubs, celebrity anti-heroes and motorway service stations, perfectly capturing the English idiom at the turn of the twenty-first century. Yummy mummies and debauched Tories mingle with drunk Essex commuters and leering tabloid paps; a small town chip-shop becomes the site of a heart-wrenching story of failed marriage; and a televised manhunt enthralls an entire nation. Fast-paced and inventive, this is poetry at its most approachable, satirical, fun, and archetypally English. "Whatever it is that Luke Wright has been ingesting, artists of all genres need to get it bottled right now." The List "Visceral, poignant and riotously funny." The Scotsman "Performance poetry's key revivalist." Metro Luke Wright was born in Hackney in 1982. His poetry stage shows have toured the UK, Europe, Australia and China, including sold-out runs in London and Edinburgh. His latest UK tour is Your New Favourite Poet (2012-13). He is a resident poet on BBC Radio 4's Saturday Live. His first book, Who Writes This Crap?, co-written with Joel Stickley, was published by Penguin in 2008 ("An inspired piece of parody", The Guardian), and the pair's short film Crash! Bang! Wallow! won an award at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. His 2009 verse documentary for Channel 4, The Seven Ages of Love, was nominated for a Grierson Award. He lives in Suffolk, where he hosts Latitude Festival's Poetry Arena, Europe's largest single poetry event.

Table of Contents:
A Hornchurch Commuter / The Drunk Train / Thaxted / Get Parochial! / Loughborough / Stansted / Jean-Claude Gendarme / The Ballad of Mr & Mrs P. Cartwright / The Billionaire Princess / The Royal Wedding, 1947 / For Radio / Jeremy, Who Drew Penises on Everything / SCANDAL! / Bloody Hell, It's Barbara! / The Rise and Fall of Dudley Livingstone / Luke's Got a Joke / At 4.48am Sentinel_poet wrote: / Mondeo Man / Another Grotty Holiday / Clean Slate / Weekday Dad / A143 / The Ballad of Raoul Moat / The Meek / About a Minute / The Ballad of Chris & Ann's Fish Bar / It's Splendid Being the Infidel / Houses that Used to Be Boozers / A Shed of One's Own

About the Author :
Luke Wright is a poet and theatre-maker. Flamboyant, political and riotously funny, Wright’s inventive spoken word shows are enjoyed by thousands of people across the world every year. He is the author of two full poetry collections, three pamphlets and three verse plays. He is the winner of a Fringe First, a Stage Award and three Saboteur Awards. He lives in Suffolk with his two sons.

Review :
If any contemporary collection is going to convince the unbeliever that poetry can be a riot of cheek, giggles, boobs, tears and Facebook - while keeping its artistic integrity firmly intact - Mondeo Man is it.' A A'A A'A A'A A'A A' HUFFINGTON POST // Although WrightA fs sprightly verse drips with cynical disdain for Tories, outraged tabloidese and the weekend excesses of a feckless working-class, thereA fs a rich strain of empathy coursing through his work. More Crappy Albion than Broken Britain. A A'A A'A A'A A' THE LIST // [Mondeo Man is] not only verbally substantial, skilful and very funny but also complex in its feeling. GEORGE SZIRTES // Luke is a craftsman with a big heart. [Mondeo Man is] an excellent book. IAN MCMILLAN // Rude, rabid and relentlessly rhythmic. CAMBRIDGE STUDENT