We spoke to poet, film director and Young People’s Laureate for London Caleb Femi for National Poetry Day…

How did you get into poetry?
I didn’t have a traditional route into poetry because it felt like publishers weren’t accommodating enough. They’re trying now, but I feel like they just weren’t aware the relationship between a poet and a reader changed. Before, they sat right in the middle of that – but now, with the internet, we can bypass that and people can speak directly to who they need to speak to. I feel like there isn’t an explicit need, as there used to be, to be with a publisher.

What does poetry mean to you?
The reason why I write poetry is to make sense of the world for me. It’s to help me, to keep me sane. The reason why I do it is because I know there is a commonality we all share and sometimes we forget that. Poetry helps remind us that humanity lies within all of us. It reflects the life and the times we live in – it punctuates when something big happens.

What do you feel like when you’re writing poetry?
I feel anything and everything! When writing, I tap into so many different experiences and what I felt during them.

What does it do that nothing else does?
It gives me balance!

How do you think poetry has changed over the last few hundred years?
As a poet, I’m always asking myself this and questioning what new thing I’m bringing to poetry in modern day.  Past poets such as Percy Shelley and Emily Dickinson have had their stamp in life, but we live in an era that no-one in the history of humanity has ever seen before. No-one has ever lived the way we have lived. We have the internet: how is poetry catching up to that? How is poetry catching up to social media? Poetry is the thing that allows you to say things you couldn’t say, or found difficult to say. In this new age of media, we’re communicating in a new and totally different, interesting way, and poetry is evolving to this. It’s neither better now, nor worse.

How do you think it will change over the next few hundred years?
I hope the biggest change we see is around accessibility. It’s not about a small set of people giving and receiving prizes at poetry slams.  There are people who aren’t full-time poets, but because of the accessibility of the internet, their work has blown up. I’d love to see that continue on.

Do you read and write novels, or is poetry your medium of choice?
Poetry is one of many different ways in which I express creativity. I’m a big reader, and in terms of writing I’m currently working on a theatre production called ‘Goldfish Bowl’ which is an exposé  on the way we view ourselves and others, all told through spoken word, live grime and breath-taking visuals.

What are the benefits of poetry on the mind?
Poetry provides a departure from the everyday. It is a chance to stop, reflect and settle the mind. I find when I read and write poetry, I am completely in the moment and not thinking ahead to the next thing. For me, it’s a form of meditation.

If someone is looking to expand their creativity, why poetry?
Because it’s a unique lyric based art form which encourages people to express themselves about all elements of society – politics, the environment, their personal feelings. It brings us closer together – what’s better than that!

How have you embraced technology within poetry?
Poetry is becoming an easy medium for young people to find their voice. Our generation has learned how to appreciate and embrace technology in all its forms. I’ve used technology to connect with other poets, find new poetry and showcase my own work.

What’s your favourite line of a poem?
I’ll show you fear in a handful of dust – T.S Eliot

Which new or contemporary poet are you most excited about right now?
Warsan Shire, Ocean Vuong and Claudia Rankin are all very exciting poets of the moment.  Just the other day I had the chance to meet Yrsa Daley-Ward. She is bringing a fresh and contemporary approach to poetry. She’s a true storyteller and uses poetry to shine a light on her experiences. She also uses Instagram to connect young people to her work – it’s great to see.

 What would you say to someone who thinks poetry is boring?
Far from it! Poetry is the closest thing to capture the ineffable!

How has poetry helped you to express things that are difficult to say?
Poetry is the one of the purest forms of conversation there is. At its best, it allows me to communicate from an honest and safe place, a place that I am seldom afforded in the everyday rush of life. The reason why I started writing poetry was because I needed a space that allowed me to talk about things that scared me, that intrigued me, that amused me, things that made me vulnerable like telling the first girl I was in love with how I truly felt about her. The important things are usually the things left unsaid and poetry gives me the courage to say those things before it’s too late.

Can you explain more about your role as the global ambassador for the Julius Meinl Meet With a Poem Campaign?
Yes! I’ve joined forces with the Viennese coffee brand, Julius Meinl, ahead of their Meet With A Poem campaign on World Coffee Day. It’s a chance to bring together two things I love: coffee and poetry! I’m a big coffee drinker, and find that coffee really ignites my creativity. The initiative will see cafes, hotels and restaurants across 17 countries take part, and is a chance for people to meet up, enjoy a coffee together and use poetry to inject meaning and depth back into relationships.