Hannah Hodgson leads Poetry Please! choosing poems on disability and by disabled poets, and I have read one of my poems on Sunday 15 May 2022 at 16:30 at BBC Radio 4! 

On 11th February 2024, my poem 'The Rag Doll' was read by former Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis on BBC Radio 3's 'Words and Music', as part of the 50th anniversary of 'Bagpuss'. It was read beautifully and you can listen to it at the following

URL: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001w1sj 

My poem starts 41 minutes into the program. The whole program is a delight.

EVENTS: Spring 2024

Saturday 9 March 2024 @ 11 am – 12 noon – Kuli Kohli, Jane Seaborne and Gracey Bee will be performing poetry for International Women’s Week at Wolverhampton Central Library on Snow Hill, Wolverhampton WV1 3AX. Free event. 

Saturday 23 March 2024 at 5 – 6:30pm – Virtual Voices hosted by Cherry Doyle and Kuli Kohli. On the programme, we have Nick Pearson, Fraser Scott, Colin Hambrook and Steve Pottinger. Please go to www.offaspress.co.uk/events for the Zoom link.


Saturday 18 May 2024 at 7:30 – 9pm – Writers from Ukraine and The Black Country (including Kuli Kohli) will be performing from the ‘Writing Under Fire’ anthology. The book launch will take place in the Ukrainian Community Centre, 154 Holland Park Avenue, London, W11 4UH. This is the headquarters of the Association of Ukrainian in Great Britain. There will be free Hoblotsi (Ukrainian stuffed cabbage); coffee/tea and wine and we will also have traditional Ukrainian music. Free event - please book tickets on Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/writing-under-fire-london-launch-event-tickets-845738305037?aff=oddtdtcreator

 

From July 2020 - Commissioned to write for Sandwell Stories by Multistory.  ‘Black Country Wonder Woman' by Kuli Kohli is a commissioned long-form poem exploring the anxiety of giving birth to a premature baby at a time of crisis. With beats and rap verses by her son Akaash. You can listen to the poem here: https://bit.ly/3819jIP

Interviewed by Leslie Tate from Radio Dacorum on 20/4/22:

Poet Laureate for Wolverhampton, Kuli Kohli, talks about writing in the community and living with mild cerebral palsy as well as reading from her poems/writings that reflect that experience. Plus lots of interesting, original music!

Kuli Kohli Wolverhampton Poet Laureate with cerebral palsy talks to Leslie Tate Radio Dacorum20/4/22 by Radio Dacorum | Mixcloud 

Read the Express & Star April 2023 article click here. 

Wolverhampton's Poet Laureate talks about the power of poetry and helping others to find their voice

M/Otherwords -  Read interviews, reflections, commentary and original writing from authors, poets, anthropologists and more for different perspectives on motherhood. 

Originals … with poet Kuli Kohli 'Becoming a mother was a big surprise'. click here to read.

I am available for performances at gigs, schools, colleges, libraries etc.

I am happy to take commissions.

To contact me please email kuli.kohli@hotmail.co.uk

 
 

 

Poetry for me has been a very important aspect of expressing myself personally, emotionally and getting the people around me to realise that there is someone very sensitive who lives in my body. I was born with cerebral palsy and throughout my childhood and teenage years I was ashamed of myself. I wanted to be “normal” all my life, however, I didn’t know myself what normal was.

Sharing your voice and views to complete strangers can be a scary process but also very rewarding. At first I was petrified, but as I began to perform more to different audience I began to enjoy it, because I could see my work was making an impression.

I think performing is important because the audience can get a feel of the poet, why and what drives them to write. When I sit down on the stage to read my poetry there’s a sudden silence in the room. When I get going the audience begin to relax and start to enjoy my poetry and by the end of the performance the audience fall in love with me. The audience seem genuinely interested in hearing my poetry and stories.

I have read and performed at many events and festivals across the West Midlands, London, Oswestry, Ironbridge, Coventry’s Peace Festival, Shrewsbury Literature Festival and via Skype to University of Delhi, India.

In November 2018 I was invited as guest lecturer at Humboldt University in Berlin.

I have been involved in many projects - including readings at the University of Greenwich and Liverpool Hope University. 

In December 2019 I was invited to the British Museum in London for Purple Light Up event for International Disabled Persons Day 2019.

In 2020 I have been commissioned to write bespoke poetry for many events, especially during lockdown, where it has not been possible to attend gigs. I have been commissioned to write, record, video my poetry which has been shared on social media and other media platforms.


 

 

Kuli has been commissioned to write a poem for the Overhear project. You can collect her poem using the overhear app when you visit Zuri Coffee in Wolverhampton. For more information visit: https://www.overhearpoetry.com/