Salena Godden facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Salena Godden
Background information
Born	Hastings, Sussex, U.K.
Occupation(s)	Poet, author, activist, broadcaster, memoirist, essayist.
Years active	1994–present
Associated acts	Coldcut + SaltPeter

Salena Godden is a talented English poet, author, and activist. She also works as a broadcaster, writes memoirs, and creates essays. Born in Hastings, UK, Salena has a mixed heritage, with family from Jamaica and Ireland. She is now based in London. Her work has appeared in many collections, and she has published several books. Salena has also written for BBC TV and radio. So far, she has released four music albums.

Who is Salena Godden?

Salena Godden is known for her powerful words and creative projects. She has written many books, including poetry collections and a memoir about her childhood. Her writing often explores important themes.

Her Books and Poetry

Salena's poetry books include Under The Pier and Fishing in the Aftermath: Poems 1994–2014. She also wrote a memoir called Springfield Road, which shares stories from her early life.

One of her well-known works is Pessimism Is For Lightweights – 13 pieces of Courage and Resistance. This book came out in 2018. A poem from this book, "Pessimism is for Lightweights," was even displayed as public art. It was outside the Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol for over a year and a half. The idea for the poem came from author John Higgs. He asked Salena to write it for a podcast.

In September 2019, Salena's art piece "RED" was part of an exhibition. This exhibition, called The Most Powerful Woman In The Universe, focused on women artists. It was held at Gallery 46 in Whitechapel.

Essays and Short Stories

Salena has written many essays that explore different topics. Her essay "Shade" was part of the award-winning book The Good Immigrant. This collection was put together by Nikesh Shukla. Another essay, "Skin," was broadcast on BBC Radio 3 as part of The Essay program. She also wrote "We are The Champions" for the book Others. More recently, her essay "Broken Biscuits" was in Smashing it! Working class artists on life, art and making it happen. This book was edited by Sabrina Mahfouz.

Music and Audio Works

Salena Godden has also released several albums. Her first solo poetry album was LIVEwire, released in 2017 and 2018. It was available on CD, vinyl, and as a printed book. This album was even nominated for the Ted Hughes Award, which is a big honor for poetry. She also released Live at Byline Festival EP in 2018.

Film and Radio Projects

Salena's work extends to film and radio. She narrated the short film Is There Anybody Out There?. This film was created by Google and BBC Arts for their Rhyme and Reason program. It aired in October 2019 on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer.

Her first novel, Mrs Death Misses Death, was published in January 2021. It was described as an "electrifying" and unique book. A BBC Radio 4 documentary followed Salena as she wrote this novel for 12 months. Mrs Death Misses Death was also longlisted for the 2021 Gordon Burn Prize. Salena is planning to publish three more books with her publisher, Canongate Books. These will include another novel, a memoir, and a poetry collection.

Live Performances

Salena Godden is known for her exciting live poetry performances. She has performed at many important events and festivals. These include the March For Women in Trafalgar Square and the Women's March in Parliament Square. She has also performed with the London Symphony Orchestra and The Last Poets. Salena has been a Poet Laureate at Byline Festival. She has also appeared at the Edinburgh International Book Festival and the South Bank Centre.

Film Narrations and Appearances

Salena has lent her voice to films. She narrated Cahier Africain, a documentary about a humanitarian crisis. This film won awards for its important message. She also appeared in Brakes, an independent comedy film. This movie premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival and was later shown on Film4.

Radio Programs

Salena has been a guest on many radio shows. She has appeared on BBC Radio 4 programs like Stir it up and Little Miss Cornshucks. She also had a radio play called A Valentine at Waterloo. Her essays have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3. She has also been a guest on popular shows like Loose Ends and The Jonathan Ross Show.

Published Works

Salena Godden has published many books and contributed to various collections.

Books by Salena Godden

• 2011: Under The Pier
• 2014: Fishing In The Aftermath Poems 1994–2014
• 2014: Springfield Road (a childhood memoir)
• 2017: LIVEwire (album and book)
• 2018: Pessimism is for Lightweights - 13 pieces of courage and resistance
• 2021: Mrs Death Misses Death

Poetry Collections with Salena's Work

Salena's poems have been included in many poetry collections. Some of these are:

• 1998: The Fire People
• 2000: IC3 - New Black Writing
• 2016: Untitled Two
• 2019: Midnight Feasts
• 2019: Poems For A Green and Blue Planet

Short Stories and Essays in Collections

Her short stories and essays have also appeared in various anthologies:

• 2001: Vox n Roll
• 2005: Croatian Nights
• 2016: The Good Immigrant
• 2019: Others
• 2019: Smashing It: Working Class Artists on life, art and making it happen

Music Albums

Salena Godden has released several music albums and EPs.

• 2018: Salena Godden / Live at Byline Festival EP
• 2017: Salena Godden / LIVEwire (live spoken-word album)
• 2007: Salena Godden/ Promise Of Gold
• 2007: SaltPeter/ Hunger’s The Best Sauce album
• 2007: SaltPeter/ I’m Not Gay But… EP
• 2006: SaltPeter/ Everybody Back To Mine EP
• 2005: SaltPeter/ SaltPervert EP
• 2000: SS&PC/ Egg Yolk Planet Fried debut album
• 1999: Saltpetre CD/Volume One