Kae Tempest: Difference between revisions

'''Kae Tempest''' is an English spoken word performer, poet, recording artist, novelist and playwright. In 2013, they won the Ted Hughes Award for their work ''Brand New Ancients''.<ref name="Guardianmusic">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2014/oct/22/mercury-nominees-2014-kate-tempest |title=‘Mercury nominees 2014: Kate Tempest |date=22 October 2014 |access-date=6 February 2018 | work=Guardian Music Blog| publisher=Guardian Media Group| location=London | df=dmy-all}}</ref> They were named a Next Generation Poet by the Poetry Book Society,<ref name="Flood">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/sep/11/next-generation-20-poets-poetry-book-society-kate-tempest | title=‘Next Generation’ of 20 hotly-tipped poets announced by Poetry Book Society |last=Flood |first=Alison | date=11 September 2014 |access-date=6 February 2018  |newspaper=The Guardian |publisher=Guardian Media Group |location=London}}</ref> a once-a-decade accolade. Their albums ''Everybody Down''<ref name="Guardianmusic" /> and ''Let Them Eat Chaos'' have been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize.<ref name="Hyundaimercuryprize2017">{{cite web |url=https://www.mercuryprize.com/news/kate-tempest-let-them-eat-chaos |title=Kate Tempest - 'Let Them Eat Chaos' |access-date=6 February 2018 |date=2 August 2017 | website=mercuryprize.com |publisher=Mercury Prize}}</ref> The latter's accompanying poetry book (also titled ''Let Them Eat Chaos'') was nominated for the Costa Book of the Year in the Poetry Category.<ref name="Cain">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/nov/22/costa-book-award-2016-shortlists-dominated-by-female-writers-rose-tremain-maggie-o-farrell-sarah-perry |last=Cain |first=Sian |title=Costa book award 2016 shortlists dominated by female writers |newspaper=The Guardian |publisher=Guardian Media Group |location=London |date=22 November 2016 |access-date=6 February 2018 }}</ref> Their debut novel ''The Bricks That Built the Houses'' was a ''Sunday Times'' bestseller and won the 2017 Books Are My Bag Readers Award for Breakthrough Author. They were nominated as Brit Award for Best Female Solo Performer at the 2018 Brit Awards.<ref name="Brits">{{cite web |url=http://www.brits.co.uk/news/british-female-solo-artist-nominees-announced |title=British Female Solo Artist Nominees Announced |website=brits.co.uk |publisher=BRIT Awards |access-date=6 February 2018 }}</ref>

Tempest grew up in Brockley, South East London, one of five children. Tempest worked in a record shop from age 14 to 18. They went to Thomas Tallis School, leaving at 16 to study at the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon, going on to graduate in English Literature from Goldsmiths, University of London.<ref name="Hyundaimercuryprize2017" /><ref name="Guardianmusic" /> Tempest first performed when they were 16, at open mic nights at Deal Real, a small hip-hop store in Carnaby Street in London's West End. They went on to support acts such as John Cooper Clarke, Billy Bragg and Benjamin Zephaniah. They toured internationally with their band Sound of Rum until they disbanded in 2012 before being commissioned to write their first play, ''Wasted''.<ref name="Mahoney">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/mar/27/wasted-paines-plough-review |author=Mahoney, Elisabeth |date=27 March 2012 | accessdate=6 February 2018 | publisher=The Guardian |title=Wasted – review - Stage - The Guardian}}</ref>