BobCobbing
Biography
Bob Cobbing (1920, Enfield, England – 2002, London, England) was a groundbreaking British poet and performer whose work redefined the possibilities of language through visual, concrete, and sound poetry. A major force in the postwar British avant-garde, Cobbing spent his life expanding the boundaries of poetic form—on the page, through the voice, and in performance. Cobbing trained as an accountant and teacher before turning toward the arts in the 1950s. His early involvement with experimental circles began with the Hendon Experimental Art Club, and he launched the influential magazine And in 1951. These early ventures laid the foundation for what would become a lifelong commitment to radical poetic practice. In 1963, he established Writers Forum, a small press and workshop platform that became a cornerstone of the British underground literary scene. Under Cobbing's direction, Writers Forum published hundreds of titles by avant-garde poets from the UK and abroad, offering space to emerging voices alongside figures such as John Cage and Allen Ginsberg. Cobbing also ran Better Books, a bookstore on London’s Charing Cross Road that functioned as a key cultural site in the 1960s, hosting performances, exhibitions, and readings that blended poetry with sound, film, and performance art. The space became a crucible for experimentation and collaboration within the countercultural movement. Renowned for his dynamic live performances, Cobbing developed a style of vocal improvisation that treated text as sound material—scored not only by meaning but by rhythm, texture, and typography. He performed solo and in collectives such as Konkrete Canticle (with Paula Claire and Bill Griffiths) and abAna (with Paul Burwell and David Toop), using amplified voice, breath, and nonverbal utterance as expressive tools. Works like ABC in Sound (1964), Kurrirrurriri (1967), and Whisper Piece (1969) exemplify Cobbing’s commitment to breaking language apart—visually and sonically—to rebuild it as raw, elemental expression. He was also instrumental in founding the Association of Little Presses, advocating for independent publishing across the UK and Ireland and helping create networks of support for small-scale, non-commercial publishing efforts. Until his death in 2002, Cobbing remained a fiercely active presence in experimental literature, giving performances, publishing new work, and mentoring younger poets. His archive, housed in institutions like the British Library, stands as a testament to a life devoted to radical creativity and poetic innovation.