The Poetry of Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan’s songs formed an indispensable soundtrack to the 1960s, and have continued to capture the imagination of audiences ever since. His song lyrics are often praised for their poetry and he has been acclaimed by some as one of the great unsung poets of the 20th century.

An evening of discussion of Dylan’s life and lyrics and Jewishness punctuated by covers of some key songs from the mesmerising Jackie Oates.  

Clinton Heylin is recognized all over the world as a leading authority on Bob Dylan. He was co-founder of Wanted Man, the British magazine dedicated to studying Dylan’s life and work. He published the highly praised biography, Dylan: Behind the Shades, in 1991 and followed it up in 1996 with an equally well-received account of Dylan’s recording career, Dylan: Behind Closed Doors.

Jackie Oates, described by the Observer as ‘a frontrunner among the new generation of Brit folkies’ won two BBC Folk Awards in 2009 and recently released her 3rd solo album, 'Saturnine.’

Sophie Solomon, Artistic Director of the Jewish Music Institute, is the leading klezmer violinist of her generation. A founder member of groundbreaking fusionists Oi Va Voi, she went on to launch a successful solo career with Decca Records. Sophie composes for film, TV and theatre, most recently for Our Class at the National Theatre and Off the Endz at the Royal Court.

Dorian Lynskey is a music writer for The Guardian. He also writes for Q, The Word, Spin and Empire. He is the author of 33 Revolutions Per Minute: A History of Protest Songs and The Guardian Book of Playlists.

In association with Poet in the City