Brand New Ancients cover art

Brand New Ancients

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Brand New Ancients

By: Kae Tempest
Narrated by: Kae Tempest
Try Premium Plus free

Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $9.99

Buy Now for $9.99

About this listen

Kate 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.

 Death, Grief & Loss Love Poetry Themes & Styles Innovation Mythology

Critic Reviews

breathe[s] new life into old classic forms . . . a long poem about us and the gods that's all high-kicking verve and long-range understanding. I loved its vision, powerful and merciful. (Ali Smith, Books of the Year)
All stars
Most relevant
I loved every second of this and hung on every word. This is truly magnificent.

Sheer brilliance

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Unique story and left me thinking afterwards. Enjoyed listening to this and would recommend to others.

Great performance

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.