Stephen Watt, Poet: A Substitute For Something Else

Stephen Watt is the Poetry Editor for Nutmeg Football Magazine and the author of five poetry collections. In 2016, Stephen was appointed Poet-in-Residence at Dumbarton Football Club and became the first crime poet to appear at Bloody Scotland, the international crime-writing festival. Other titles include being appointed Poet-in-Chief for the Hampden Collection in 2018 and Makar for the Federation of Writers (Scotland) in 2019. 

Among the awards won by Stephen are the Poetry Rivals Slam, the StAnza International Digital Poetry Prize, the Tartan Treasures award, and he was the inaugural winner of the Liverpool Poetry Prize, judged by Roger McGough.

Stephen’s work has appeared in a French art gallery, a German chapel, and the American metro system, and he has edited two punk poetry collections: Ashes To Activists for the Joe Strummer Foundation and Pogo Serotonin for Buzzcocks. Since 2016, Stephen’s side project has been the gothic spoken word/music collaboration, Neon Poltergeist. 

Find Stephen on X @StephenWattPoet and Facebook

Stephen is a fast-paced, clever wordsmith who challenges and provokes through his poetry. He delivered an entertaining hour with ease, as he engaged fully with his audience. His humorous staccato lines contrast with moving and poignant observations on our human condition. The audience were genuinely enthralled and touched by his work.

William Allan McMillan 

Here are some highlights.

Stephen is a fast-paced, clever wordsmith who challenges and provokes through his poetry. He delivered an entertaining hour with ease, as he engaged fully with his audience. His humorous staccato lines contrast with moving and poignant observations on our human condition. The audience were genuinely enthralled and touched by his work.

William Allan McMillan

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