Poets and cabbies: On the Cotton

I first saw the connection between poetry and London’s cab trade through my Dad, as I listened to him calling over the runs of the Blue Book. Translated for those not in the know: this is when ‘Knowledge Boys’ speak from memory the street names and directions from one place to another, as described in ‘the Knowledge of London’ book which forms the basis of qualifying as a London cabbie.

These read a bit like an arcane ritual or a strange poem, conjuring up romantic images of London’s infrastructure and a sense of movement and motion.

A bit like a poem, I thought.
 

As I explored this further, I realised that cabbies themselves have a lot in common with poets: independence, an eye for detail, feats of memory – and, most importantly, a desire to connect with and transport people from one space to another. Cabbies may do this across the geography of London, and poets through the power of allusion and metaphor – but both take us places via routes they practice repeatedly before going off-page when there’s an inevitable road / writer’s block.

I got to see this in action last summer, as – with funding from Arts Council England – I paired up seven cabbies with seven poets and asked them to write together. The outcome was a brilliant, distinct, earthy collaborative collection of poems that we performed in the East End.

I added in documentary filmmaker Bilal Bounit to capture the magic of their meetings and the aliveness of their performances, and the result is a very London-feeling short film of the realities of being part of one of the oldest and most recognisable icons in the city.

I’m so excited that we get to share this work further at the Transport Museum, the perfect home for both the film and the poetry. I’d be delighted to welcome you to a very special premier screening of On the Cotton, accompanied by live performances and a Q&A with Bilal, some of the poets, and the cabbies. 

Learn more about our screening of On the Cotton on Saturday 11 March, and book your tickets: Black Cab drivers are eligible for a special discount.