Jasmine Gardosi

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Jasmine Gardosi is a British writer and activist whose work has covered mental health and LGBTQ+ issues. [1] [2]

Contents

Biography

Gardosi went to King Edward VI High School for Girls in Birmingham, where she recollects she struggled reading aloud in class. [3] A multiple slam champion and beatboxer, Gardosi began performing at open-mic nights across Birmingham after leaving university. [4]

Her debut pamphlet was Hurtz [5] , published by Verve Poetry Press in 2019. [6]

She has been Poet in Residence at both the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and the Brontë Parsonage Museum, [7] and was named as one of Nonchalant Magazine's Iconic Queer Poets in 2022. [8]

Gardosi was announced as Birmingham Poet Laureate for the period October 2022–September 2024 on National Poetry Day 2022. [9]

In June 2023, she was invited to headline Estonia's first queer poetry slam, as part of Baltic Pride. [10]

Gardosi's work has been influenced by Benjamin Zephaniah, Kae Tempest and spoken word artists like Hannah Silva and Bohdan Piesecki. [11]

Dancing to Music You Hate (2021–)

Gardosi's debut show is Dancing to Music You Hate. Commissioned by Warwick Arts Centre and first performed in 2021, the show combines poetry, beatboxing and "Celtic Dubstep" to explore themes around gender identity. [7] It was shortlisted for the Saboteur Awards' Best Spoken Word Show in 2022, eventually winning the award in 2023 — the same year Gardosi also won Best Spoken Word Performer. [12]

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References

  1. I Am Birmingham, LGBTQ+ activist becomes Birmingham’s new Poet Laureate (7 October 2022) https://www.iambirmingham.co.uk/2022/10/07/lgbtq-activist-becomes-new-birmingham-poet-laureate/
  2. Per Capita Media, “I truly hope to emulate Zephaniah’s gentle bravery” and defend Spoken Word as a “legitimate Art Form”, says Birmingham Poet Laureate, Jasmine Gardosi. (17 February 2024) https://per-capita.co.uk/notebook/5006/
  3. Per Capita Media, “I truly hope to emulate Zephaniah’s gentle bravery” and defend Spoken Word as a “legitimate Art Form”, says Birmingham Poet Laureate, Jasmine Gardosi. (17 February 2024) https://per-capita.co.uk/notebook/5006/
  4. PinkNews, Birmingham Poet Laureate Jasmine Gardosi on gender euphoria and breaking binaries in her new show (24 January 2023) https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/01/24/birmingham-poet-laureate-jasmine-gardosi-gender-identity-queerness/
  5. Jerwood Arts, Jasmine Gardosi, retrieved 2 May 2023, https://jerwoodarts.org/artist/jasmine-gardosi/
  6. Sphinx Review, Jasmine Gardosi - Hurtz, published 2019, retrieved 2 May 2023 https://www.sphinxreview.co.uk/index.php/opoi-reviews-2020/930-jasmine-gardosi-hurtz
  7. 1 2 What's On Magazine, Birmingham poet Laureate brings powerful debut show to MAC (25 April 2023) https://www.whatsonlive.co.uk/birmingham/news/birmingham-poet-laureate-brings-powerful-debut-show-to-mac/55674
  8. Nonchalant Magazine, Iconic Queer Poets along with Arlo Parks (21 December 2022) https://www.nonchalantmagazine.com/iconic-queer-poets-to-read-this-national-poetry-month/
  9. GScene, LGBTQ+ poet Jasmine Gardosi announced as new Birmingham Poet Laureate (17 October 2022) https://www.gscene.com/arts/lgbtq-poet-jasmine-gardosi-announced-as-new-birmingham-poet-laureate/
  10. ERR News, Estonia's first LGBT+ poetry slam to take place in Tallinn (4 June 2023) https://news.err.ee/1608997873/estonia-s-first-lgbt-poetry-slam-to-take-place-in-tallinn
  11. Per Capita Media, "I truly hope to emulate Zephaniah’s gentle bravery" and defend Spoken Word as a "legitimate Art Form", says Birmingham Poet Laureate, Jasmine Gardosi. (17 February 2024) https://per-capita.co.uk/notebook/5006/
  12. Double success for Birmingham laureate Jasmine Gardosi in Saboteur awards (25 June 2023) https://www.writeoutloud.net/public/blogentry.php?blogentryid=130300