Kat Francois

Biography

Kat was the first person to win a televised slam competition in the U.K. In 2004 she competed against poets across the country and walked away with the title of BBC SLAM champion. She then went on to compete in the World Slam championships in Rotterdam in 2005 against international slam champions and also came away with the title of World Slam Champion. Kat is well-known performance poet on the London Poetry scene. She is resident poet at The Theatre Royal, Stratford East, London, where she hosts and organises a monthly poetry and music night called WORD4WORD, which is now in its eighth year, and has seen many great poetry talents grace the stage. WORD4WORD is held every third Sunday of the month. Kat also hosts and organises a poetry, music and Q & A night at The Poetry Café Covent Garden, called INTIMATES, which is the opposite of WORD4WORD, a small intimate venue where poets and authors read and share their work, join in discussions, and take part in word games. Held every first Friday of the month. Kat has been performing for approx ten years and has performed numerous times nationally and internationally. Kat Francois is also an educator using performance poetry and creative writing to tackle social issues with children and adults. A regular performer on BBC radio, Kat has released a spoken word CD entitled BLESSED BY WORDS and is published in a number of poetry magazines and anthologies. Her first written collection of poetry RYHME AND REASON was published in February 2008. Kat has also performed on television and took part in an episode of Blue Peter and also stared in the BIG POETRY SLAM, an educational television programme which was filmed in 2007, but is still being aired. Kat has also been forging a name for herself in theatre. Her first theatre piece SEVEN TIMES ME, a solo theatre show written and performed by Kat Francois, directed by Dawn Reid (Funny Black Women On the Edge, The Harder they Come), has toured nationally and internationally, including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2007 where the show received four star reviews, and the Adelaide Fringe Festival, Australia 2008. She has also written and performed a one woman play called RAISING LAZARUS, charting the journey of West Indian soldiers who came to England to fight during the First World War, which was first performed in 2009. Also directed By Dawn Reid the show premiered to a sell out audience in the studio space of the Theatre Royal Stratford East. The show is now in further development and the aim is to take it on a national tour once funding has been secured. Kat wrote and performed “KAT’S GOT YOUR TONGUE,” a full length comedy show, at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, Studio space in 2010, with a follow on the main stage in 2011. The show also received a 5 star review at Camden Fringe 2011. Kat now hosts a weekly radio show devoted to Spoken Word every thursday 9 til 11pm on www.guessradio.co.uk

Samples

ORDINARY I was 12 when we first met. You spotted mum and me in the street. Jumped in the back of your blue Ford. She told me you were my father. I shyly said hello. There were some similarities, You had teeny mouse ears just like mine, Our skin colourings matched, dark chocolate. But I dreamt you would be taller With a handsome movie star face, Dazzling pearly teeth And manicured nails. I dreamt you’d have a deep man voice, A warm enveloping laugh. I dreamt that when we met you would hug me And shower me with love and long lost apologies. But that did not happen, You were ordinary You could have been anyone’s father. I made a mental note to ask mum if she was sure. I took sneaky looks at you Through the rear view mirror. You smiled, I did not smile back.

All poems are copyright of the originating author. Permission must be obtained before using or performing others' poems.