Katie Gill

Katie Gill is a London based spoken word artist from Portsmouth. She believes that approaching stigmatized issues with a sense of humour is a great way to break down barriers and enable wider conversations. Her poetry is often confessional, tackling topics such as alcoholism, body image and mental health. It has been described as ‘disarming’ and ‘down to earth.’ In 2016, she supported Tongue Fu on the Roundhouse main stage and performed at Bestival in 2017 with the Roundhouse Poetry Collective. Katie is currently a Roundhouse Resident Artist and is developing her first ever solo spoken word show about OCD.

Just Like That

Spoken word artist Katie Gill started writing at the age of 14 after reading Sylvia Plath’s work at school. Inspired by Plath’s visceral imagery and lofty style, Katie writes confessional poetry that aims to unite audiences through shared experiences and vulnerability. ‘I’ve Got No Tits’ uses humour to tackle body insecurities and is a feminist exploration of the pressures placed upon young girls to conform to artificial images manufactured by the media Whilst she mostly tackles stigmatized issues in order to enable wider conversations, Katie also searches for the beauty in the mundane, believing that the uniqueness of poetry lies in its ability to render the ordinary extraordinary. Her poem ‘Coffee Machine’ is a comical observation of the excitement caused by simple pleasures, highlighting the monotony of an office environment. Katie wants to reach audiences that feel disengaged with traditional poetry, which is reflected in her style and chosen topics.

UKYA PROJECTS:

UKYA City Takeover: Nottingham 2019