The Luckiest Guy Alive

By: John Cooper Clarke

Narrated by: John Cooper Clarke

The godfather of British performance poetry - Daily Telegraph

The Luckiest Guy Alive, performed by the author, is the first new book of poetry from Dr John Cooper Clarke for several decades – and a brilliant, scabrous, hilarious collection from one of our most beloved and influential writers and performers. From the ‘Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman’ to a hymn to the seductive properties of the pie – by way of hand-grenade haikus, machine-gun ballads and a meditation on the loss of Bono’s leather pants – The Luckiest Guy Alive collects stunning set pieces, tried-and-tested audience favourites and brand new poems to show Cooper Clarke still effortlessly at the top of his game.

Cooper Clarke’s status as the ‘Emperor of Punk Poetry’ is certainly confirmed here, but so is his reputation as a brilliant versifier, a poet of vicious wit and a razor-sharp social satirist. Effortlessly immediate and contemporary, full of hard-won wisdom and expert blindsidings, it’s easy to see why the good Doctor has continued to inspire several new generations of performers from Alex Turner to Plan B: The Luckiest Guy Alive shows one of the most compelling poets of the age on truly exceptional form.

‘John Cooper Clarke is one of Britain’s outstanding poets. His anarchic punk poetry has thrilled people for decades ... long may his slender frame and spiky top produce words and deeds that keep us on our toes and alive to the wonders of the world.’ Sir Paul McCartney

Critic reviews

The godfather of British performance poetry

There are a legion of new young poets who rightly pay homage to Cooper Clarke (Julian Hall)

John Cooper Clarke has, arguably, not only the most recognizable silhouette in show business, but also the most infectious of poetic voices. (Tim Adams)

Witty and profane, his lyrics are best declaimed aloud, to make you laugh and encourage you to question everything. (Bel Mooney)

A poet who writes about darkness and decay but makes people laugh, a human cartoon, a gentleman punk, a man who has stayed exactly the same for thirty years but never grown stale. John Cooper Clarke is an original (Claire Smith)

I say to people, have you heard of John Cooper Clarke and if they say, yes, yeah he's an absolute genius and you just go, 'oh - ok, you've saved me a lot of time (Steve Coogan)

John Cooper Clarke uses words like Chuck Berry uses guitar riffs melody and anger, humour and disdain in equal measure. He's the real deal, really funny and really caustic, the velvet voice of discontent. (Kate Moss)

John Cooper Clarke is one of Britain’s outstanding poets. His anarchic punk poetry has thrilled people for decades and his no nonsense approach to his work and life in general has appealed to many people including myself for many years. Long may his slender frame and spiky top produce words and deeds that keep us on our toes and alive to the wonders of the world. (Sir Paul McCartney)

...nothing short of dazzling (Alex Turner)

Pacy, punchy social satire. Reading it is like spending a night at the pub with your funniest friend, who also happens to have an astute take on everything from the state of the high street, to metrosexuality and the NHS.

Most people who've been moderately exposed to John Cooper Clarke find it impossible to get through life without muttering the off word to themselves in that extraordinary accent of his. Well, now you've got an entire book to recite.

Not a heading

Fast as a virgin's climax, witty as hell in a freezer, imaginative as things from spandex, controversial as a Baudelaire teaser. Johm Cooper Clarke puts me in that kind of mood.