Meet Our New Poet Laureate, Steve Beattie
He will take over from Nick Degg this May and hopes to inspire high schoolers to get writing and rhyming… he's also penning two plays, including one about Lemmy…
Active on the arts scene for the past 25 years, Steve Beattie is an assistant theatre practitioner at the Royal Stoke University Hospital who turned to poetry during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way of managing anxiety. Last year, he published his first poetry anthology, Butterflies in My Braincase. Steve has also written and produced a short film, Beneath Still Water, inspired by the legend of Blakemere Pool in Leek and the mermaid said to reside there. A long-standing member of the Stoke Repertory Theatre Players, he is an accomplished actor who has appeared in numerous plays and musicals, with credits stretching back to 2000.
You will become Stoke-on-Trent’s Poet Laureate in May 2026. What do you have in store for us Stokies?
There are going to be events in libraries and around the city — readings, workshops, that kind of thing. We’re also hoping to get into schools, particularly high schools. That was one of the things I was really keen on when I discussed the role.
I’ve got a mixture of age-range children myself — some in primary school, some now in high school — and the primary school ones seem a bit more in tune with poetry. They like it more, they like creating it, whereas the older ones tend to shy away from it a bit more. I think it’s because it’s part of the GCSE structure; it’s kind of more of a chore than anything else. And it doesn’t need to be — it’s a good release.
A lot of what they forget sometimes is that a lot of the artists they listen to music-wise are also good poets — Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, artists like that. Once you start mentioning those names and they start looking at the lyrics more, they realise poetry is not something to shy away from. Even though poetry is my focus, I also want to involve as many other art forms as possible.
Tell us how you’re feeling about your tenure as Poet Laureate
I’m excited and nervous. I’ve got so many ideas, but particularly linking poetry with other arts, engraving poems onto plates, and doing some public displays. The more people we involve, the more we celebrate what this city offers. That’s what I’m most looking forward to.
How did you get the gig?
I saw the Facebook post from the National Literacy Trust. The council wanted three poems about the city. I submitted three I liked and forgot about it. Months later, I was shortlisted and asked to perform. Performing my own work was daunting.
The judges included Gabriella Gay, Stephen Seabridge, Nick Degg, and Brian Bilston. I read the poems, did a Q&A, and thought nothing of it. Then an email arrived saying I’d been chosen. I was shocked — deeply shocked.
It felt surreal, even receiving the plaque in December. Now, as May approaches, it’s daunting but exciting — I’ll be commissioned to write poems and represent the city.
What inspires you about Stoke-on-Trent and how is that reflected in your poetry?
Stoke’s the underdog. I hate seeing constant negativity, especially online. Yes, the city’s had it tough, but there’s huge talent here — writers, actors, musicians, potters, athletes – and we’re surrounded by beautiful places. I’m very proud of where I live.
You wrote poetry to help deal with anxiety during the pandemic. How did it help?
I’d written poetry since high school, but working at the Royal Stoke during COVID was stressful. I was diagnosed with anxiety and went through CBT, which was where journaling came up. Poetry became a way to communicate feelings. I started writing more — about feelings, politics, family, films — anything. When the Poet Laureate call came up, I already had poems sitting on my computer, so I published Butterflies in My Brain Case.
Tell us about that collection…
It’s eclectic — there are poems on mental health, politics, relationships, plus some absurd pieces. Influences range from TS Eliot and Lewis Carroll to more modern poets. Not all of them I even like anymore, but that’s not for me to judge — something I dislike might resonate with someone else.
“Stoke’s the underdog. I hate seeing constant negativity, especially online. Yes, the city’s had it tough, but there’s huge talent here.”
You also write plays and we hear you’re writing one about Motörhead…
I actually have two plays in the works. The Motörhead play I started last year. I’ve been a fan since I was a kid; Lemmy had a big influence on my life. After Andy Edwards unveiled the statue last year, you realise just how much impact he had.
I toyed with the idea of a musical but quickly realised Motörhead doesn’t suit a jukebox musical style. So it became a play, focusing on those last few months — writing the final album, the final tour — and how someone with that personality faces mortality. It questions how he’ll be remembered when the inevitable happens. It’s set in the recording studio, with interviews — but with people who aren’t actually there. People from his imagination, visiting his past, present, and future, a bit like A Christmas Carol.
The other play, Lamb, is a dinner party with seven guests; the eighth hasn’t arrived. Act one is a normal dinner party. Things become strange due to the hostess’s behaviour, leading into act two, which has a big revelation I can’t give away. It’s meant to be shocking. Hopefully, it will come out within the next 12–18 months and be performed at the Stoke Rep, but the Lemmy one will take longer.
You’ve been involved in the arts in Stoke for 25 years. Tell us about that.
Yeah. I’ve been acting since high school, directing, and writing for theatre. Pre-COVID, I was chairman of the repertory players for a couple of years. I’ve been a member for more than 10 years, and I’ve done some professional work as well.
How do you feel about taking over from the current Poet Laureate?
Nick Degg is phenomenal — he’s a brilliant poet who does a lot of performance poetry. That’s not something I’m familiar with; I’m used to performing someone else’s work rather than my own. But my acting background will help massively when it comes to performing my own work in public.
On our socials… check out Helen’s interview and Steve’s poetry reading here:
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