‘I am so pleased that Verve has been bold enough to publish my collection, because it feels that comic poetry is always on the fringes of the mainstream poetry establishment, yet when we experience comic poetry at it’s very best it has the power to lift us and transport us in exactly the same way as all the other poetic forms and you get a good laugh thrown in for free!’
Rick Sanders, aka Willis the Poet, is an established comedy stand-up poet based in the mighty West Midlands. He is a regular headliner and featured poet on the flourishing spoken word scene across the UK, his sticky sausage-fingers in as many pies as he can.
You can find him running his mouth off at any event where there is a) an audience and b) a microphone. In between gigs he skulks in the dark recesses of abandoned buildings trying to think of funny things to write about, which is testament to the contents of this book really; a romp through the cerebral cortex of a man who writes humourous verse about pretty much anything and then inflicts it on unsuspecting poetry fans wherever he can.
THE TOP SECRET POETRY NOTEBOOK OF WILLIS THE POET
Sometimes things are top secret for a reason. Thankfully Willis the Poet assures us that these poems have not been hidden away for that reason but another one altogether.
Anyone who has seen and laughed with Willis the Poet will know that his poetry notebooks contain poems big and small, incidental and even more incidental, rough and smooth and everything in between (incl smoothly rough).
The thing they have in common is that they are all hilarious. At least the ones he reads out are. But never before has Willis the Poet permitted his audience to peep inside his most prized poetry trove. A bad idea? Perhaps, but there’s no resisting a topsecret poetry notebook!
SAMPLE POEM
BRUM RADIO POETS
Brum Radio Poets is a radio broadcast on the last Sunday of each month at 10am, featuring poets from the Midlands and surrounding area. Hosted by Rick Sanders aka Willis the Poet, the show is an hour of chat and poetry readings with 3 other poets. Relaxed, insightful and always fun, tune in to listen to great poetry…
Guests have included many of the Verve family, such as Jasmine Gardosi, Casey Bailey and Spoz, to name but a few!
For a taste of Rick’s comedy, have a look at this performance on his YouTube channel!
