Performed by Steve Rizzo

Get to know the poet:

1) What is the theme of your poem?

My poem is about the passage from life to death. At this very moment, a legendary figure appears: the coachman of death. He is represented by a gruesome skeleton. He rides a noisy cart pulled by an old horse, in which he collects the souls of the deceased.

2) What motivated you to write this poem?

I wanted to pay tribute to my Celtic roots. I come from a region called Brittany in France, and the coachman of death (aka the Ankou) is very popular. What's more, this was the first time I'd written a horror poem. I loved this challenge!

3) How long have you been writing poetry?

I entered my first poetry contest at the age of 12. Today, I'm 38. So I've been teasing rhymes for 26 years.

4) If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would
that be?

I would have loved to have dined with Amy Winehouse. She was such an extravagant, sensitive artist... But above all, she was a true poet through the lyrics of her songs. I always admired her as much for her writing as for her voice.

5) What influenced you to submit to have your poetry performed by a
professional actor?

Only a professional actor can give body, voice, presence and temperament to words. Poetry needs to live and vibrate with very high emotions. I'd like to thank Steve Rizzo immensely for his wonderful interpretation of "The coachman of death". What an exceptional voice!

6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?

I've written 3 fiction screenplays for the cinema. I also wrote a fantastic fairy tale about a Celtic princess who meets the devil at a ball...

7) What is your passion in life?

Writing, writing, writing... Drawing too... And dream of achieving the sublime in poetry. Without passion, poetry is nothing. For me, poetry should be like an embroidery of stars, a constellation that lights up in the heart of the reader.