Poet, actor, dramatist, magician and author, Heathcote Williams is both multi-talented and prolific. He has written many best-selling book-length poems, including “Autogeddon”, “Falling for a Dolphin” and his most successful, “Whale Nation”.
Currently Heathcote spends time working for Stop the War Coalition. When we approached him for a poem to include in the CD, he generously sent us at least half a dozen and said he was happy for us to use all of them if we wanted. We selected "Who Did This To Me?", a very evocative poem about an Iraqi child who asks Tony Blair and George Bush: "Are you happy now?". The above video is narrated and animated by Alan Cox. The version recorded on the Not In Our Name CD is narrated by Maxine Peake (Martha Costello in "Silk").
As an actor he has appeared in a number of well-known independent films, Hollywood blockbusters and TV programmes, such as “Friends”, “Orlando”, “Basic Instinct 2” and Derek Jarman’s “The Tempest”.
A very self-effacing man, Heathcote spends much of his time in rural Oxforshire. As a keen naturalist he even discovered a new species of honey-producing wasp on an expedition into the Amazon jungle. He is also a magician and member of the Magic Circle and wrote a TV play entitled, “What the Dickens?” about Charles Dickens’ love for performing magic shows.
Politically, Heathcote was a leading activist for the ban on whaling and fought for squatters’ rights, establishing a ‘state’ of Frestoria in Notting Hill for squatters to live in. He was appointed Frestoria’s UK Ambassador!
Heathcote’s latest book, “Royal Babylon – The Case Against the Monarchy” will be released in January 2016.
Guest Poems
(these are not featured on the Not In Our Name CD)
"No Borders" is a Heathcote Williams poem animated and narrated by Alan Cox.
Read "This is for Syria" a poem written by Heathcote Williams following the stabbing at Leytonstone Station.
