Hannah Silva

writer       performer    performance poet     teacher     theatre director  vocal gymnast    word person  

‘One of the most ambitious & entertaining poets in the country’.

(The Times, Top Ten literary stars of 2008) 

Hannah Silva is a writer and performer whose distinctive style combines the physicality of theatre with energetic, fast-paced poetry. She composes speech, choreographs language and exploits 'double tonguing' to create a unique form of spoken word performance. Recent works include 'You Said/I Said', with percussionist Alexis Kirke (A phrased & Confused commission); 'Panopticon', a darkly humorous investigation of language, belonging and Britishness; and 'Boat on the water', a poetry/dance/theatre performance on board a yacht in Plymouth as part of the Dance-ing Devon festival.

Hannah currently holds a place as a playwright on the 2009-10 Avon/Jerwood mentoring scheme, and was recently awarded a Playwright's Development Bursary from the Theatre Royal in Plymouth.