Bentley commissions poets to create new work for World Poetry Day

Bentley has celebrated World Poetry Day by working with a group of rising poetry talent to create Bentley inspired works. Commissioning contemporary poets for their social media campaign, Bentley says it hopes to provide a fresh cultural perspective, challenging preconceptions of poetry as traditional. Much the same as how many see the British car brand as a more traditional player.

First adopted in 1999 by UNESCO, World Poetry Day was conceived as a moment to reflect on the power of language and to celebrate creativity. In 2021, Bentley has pledged its support for the creative medium which is seeing a revival through social media platforms and through the resurgence of podcasts.

Each poet commissioned by Bentley documented their work in a variety of mediums from hand-written notes, to voice recordings on their phones, digital typeface, photography and video. They were also given the keys to a Bentley vehicle to experience the car to help give them some inspiration for their works. Here is what they put together for World Poetry day.

Rhael Cape, otherwise known as ‘LionHeart’ is an award-winning British poet and spoken word artist who has inspired readers with his candid coverage of mental health, emotional vulnerability and masculinity. Highly creative by nature, LionHeart is a self-professed architecture aficionado and was awarded an honorary fellowship from the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2020. LionHeart’s poem is titled ‘The (Subliminal) Meaning of Craftsmanship’ and demonstrates his appreciation of Bentley design and how this translates allegorically through the idea of extraordinary journeys.

Charly Cox is a British writer known for her best-selling book ‘She Must Be Mad’, a coming-of-age poetry anthology she wrote in her teens and early 20s, and ‘Validate Me’, her latest book documenting her own experiences with social media addiction and mental health. Charly’s poem captures her experience of driving the Continental GT Convertible for the first time. She describes the feeling of freedom, ‘We’re on a grand tour of nowhere that could be anywhere’ that encapsulates extraordinary journeys.

Shaquille-Aaron Keith is a well-known British-Trinidadian poet, illustrator, artist and YouTube star. Drawing inspiration from artists and musicians across history, Shaquille covers topics across popular culture, mental health and race issues. His love of unique fashion has seen him star as the face of many global high-luxury fashion brands and he has become an icon of style to his avid audience. Shaquille’s poem portrays the Bentley Flying Spur as a means of escape, a safe space to practice ‘rhythmic grooving’ and to ‘quieten down with my thoughts’.

Irina Dubtsova is a 25-time award-winning Russian singer, poet and composer. Throughout her career, she has written lyrics for over 100 songs by various artists and has a passion for language and its power within music and the performing arts. Irina’s poem is romantic and lyrical and speaks of her falling in love with the Bentley Flying Spur. She describes the model as “a gorgeous car that inspires me to create, I wrote my best song in this car. It’s just perfect for life!”. 

Leticia Sala is a Spanish artist and writer living in Barcelona. Her first book ‘Scrolling After Sex’ features a compilation of stories, poems, drawings and photographs, and was published in 2018. Leticia is a regular contributor to magazines such as Vogue Spain, Vogue Italy and Vogue International, publishing poems and thought pieces. Leticia’s poem is a description of a journey by Bentley Continental GT Convertible but metaphorically represents the emotional journey of a couple.

The British carmaker and each writer will share their Bentley inspired poetry on social media from 21 March 2021 for World Poetry Day.

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