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Brand New Ancients
- Narrated by: Kae Tempest
- Length: 1 hr and 19 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Poetry
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Summary
Winner of the Ted Hughes Prize for innovation in poetry.
Kae Tempest is one of the most exciting and innovative performers to have emerged in spoken-word poetry in many years; her dramatic poem "Brand New Ancients" won the prestigious Ted Hughes Prize for innovation in poetry. Tempest's wholly unique blend of street poetry, rap, and storytelling - combined with the spellbinding delivery of an open-air revivalist - has won her legions of followers all over the UK. Her remarkable stage presence is wholly audible in this poem, a spoken story written to be told with live music.
"Brand New Ancients" is the tale of two families and their intertwining lives, set against the background of the city and braided with classical myth. Here, Tempest shows how the old myths still live on in our everyday acts of violence, bravery, sacrifice and love - and that our lives make tales no less dramatic and powerful than those of the old gods .
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.
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What listeners say about Brand New Ancients
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- ChloeEsther94
- 21-04-20
Beautifully painful.
I listened to this in the space of 24 hours; it's so violent and honest.
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- Nev
- 22-12-19
Jaw Dropping!
To my eternal shame, I’m a recent fan of Kate Tempest. This audiobook has it all, humour, horror, sadness, it really has everything! I feel privileged to have discovered this (and her). Reviewers who complain about the music, with all due respect don’t understand the incredible talent that is Ms. Tempest. Unbelievable piece of work. Any spare credits, buy this now!
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- kimbalee
- 13-06-19
Everyone should own a copy of this
I listen to this at least once a month. It’s a pick me up and a grounding experience all rolled into one. I love it so much I have the book too. The delivery is just perfect, the emotion in the pitch and pacing gets me at different places depending on how I’m feeling.
I’m a huge Kate Tempest fan, if you’ve ever liked any of her other works you definitely need to listen to this!
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- Joey Dean
- 08-02-19
Impressive work
Loved the words. Not so keen on the delivery which seemed to be aimed at a stage audience. Somewhat overdramatic, I felt. Will read the book instead.
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- shania
- 23-10-18
Superb
Beautiful. At times i found it hard to breathe. A portrait of real gods in all their perfection/imperfection. Tiny pieces of the beauty and heroism of daily lives in se London (and probably everywhere else, too), now.
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- Adam Johnson
- 17-10-18
Kate's style is gripping.
Kate is fantastic at what she does, if you like poetry with a modern twist this will be right up you street and she tells it so bloody well.
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- John Warwick
- 14-10-18
Truly powerful
This a fantastic book of modern life,first time listening to Kate Tempest,and she moved me and is making me think,what life really is.
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- thejollyroger
- 01-05-18
Love her story telling ability.
Modern poetry at its best. You can feel the hurt of life through her words. I love how Kate reads her work, I hang on every word.
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- g mac
- 30-03-18
Listen to this with some wine.
Or in the car (without wine).
You'll have a mighty fine time.
My review rhymes.
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- P. Donovan
- 29-01-18
A superb performance but why the music?
As usual, Kate Tempest gives a powerful rendition of her most famous work. However, in my opinion, the music is irritating and unnecessary.
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- James
- 02-04-15
An extraordinary experience
What made the experience of listening to Brand New Ancients the most enjoyable?
More -- much more -- than a reading or a narration, Kate Tempest has produced, along with her musicians, audio performance art of a kind unique in the annals of audible.
What other book might you compare Brand New Ancients to and why?
Is it rap? Is it chant? Is it a song? It is epic and so rightly musical and mythic. As the title suggests, this book is Homeric.
Which character – as performed by Kate Tempest – was your favorite?
We are meant to love Tommy and Glory . . . And I did.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
It's been a long time since I have bothered to write a review at audible -- not that I haven't enjoyed most of the volumes in my library. But Brand New Ancients demanded I make my reaction public. It is the single best audio book I have ever heard.
1 person found this helpful
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- Zosaan
- 06-03-15
Amazing new talent
This girl has something to say and I feel so deeply moved and honored to have the privilege to listen. I will not see the world the same having listened -- that is true art; that is what makes us gods.
1 person found this helpful
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- DRL
- 03-02-18
Stunning, like a "namaste" to Alfred J. Prufrock
Delighted that by instinct, I bought both book and audio--everything lives in this poem, whether divine, spirit, or mundane. Slight differences from print crop up in performance, but these feel organic. The music behind Tempest's voice suited, but two-and-a-half minutes street noise up front felt a bit excessive, otherwise, the audio is brilliant and provoking.
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- Ashleigh
- 02-02-16
A whole new (he)art
Must must must listen. True. Piercing. Full. I hope this is the whole new future of heartfelt poetry.
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- Joe
- 13-03-15
Amazing. Brilliant, Captivating.
What did you love best about Brand New Ancients?
Everything. Kate Tempest has amazing insight into what it is to be alive. For someone as young and as relatively new to poetry as she is, her work is second=to-none.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Absolutely.
Any additional comments?
I was introduced to Kate Tempest through her album "Everybody Down", which is an outstanding piece musical art. I listened to the album in it's entirety 3 or 4 times in a row and it is still on my playlist. Of you have every felt, lost, alone, confused, happy, in love, depressed, or any of the myriad other human emotions, I STRONGLY recommend both the album and this collection of her poetry.