Anthony Joseph is a Trinidad-born poet, novelist, musician, and academic whose work explores the intersections of Caribbean culture, jazz, surrealism, and spoken word performance. Born in Port of Spain in 1966, he grew up in Trinidad before moving to the United Kingdom in 1989, where he became an influential voice in contemporary Black British and Caribbean literature.
Joseph’s poetry and fiction often draw on the rhythms of Caribbean speech, calypso music, and Afro-diasporic spiritual traditions. His work blends literary experimentation with musical performance, frequently incorporating jazz and spoken-word elements into live readings and recordings.
He is the author of several poetry collections, including Sonnets for Albert (2022), which won the T. S. Eliot Prize, as well as novels such as Kitch: A Fictional Biography of a Calypso Icon (2018). In addition to writing, Joseph has released multiple critically acclaimed music albums and often performs internationally with his band.
Academically, Joseph holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Goldsmiths, University of London and is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at King’s College London. A Royal Society of Literature Fellow, he is widely recognised for bridging literature, music, and performance while exploring themes of identity, diaspora, and Caribbean history.
Anthony is an avid record collector too and joins One Jazz to present Jazz Is My Religion.
