“one of Europe’s most interesting young poets.”
—Steven J Fowler
Astra is a PhD student at the University of Surrey with focus in experimental writing and the neo-futurist tradition across poetry, visual art and performance. She has read at poetry events including the European Poetry Festival and The Enemies Project. Her poetry has appeared in small magazines and anthologies including The Tangerine, Eborakon Journal
and 3:am Magazine, and has been translated into Russian, Slovenian and Spanish.
Astra currently delivers experimental poetry workshops at the University for the Creative Arts and freelances for the Poetry Society. She is a Poetry Editor at Pamenar Press and WhyNow Magazine. Astra has curated several events and art exhibitions across the UK as part of Poem Atlas and artBLAB.
She won the Pebeo Mixed Media Art Prize in 2016, and her visual work has been showcased at contemporary art exhibitions including the National Poetry Library (Southbank Centre) and the Museum of Futures in London.
photo credit: Christopher Andreou
Extended Bio:
Currently based in London
Born 1991, Greece
Education
2019-2022, University of Surrey, PhD in Neo-futurist Poetics
2016-2017, Royal Holloway University of London, MA Creative Writing (Poetic Practice)
2009-2013, University of Surrey, BA (Hons) Theatre Studies
Books
2019, Stargazing (pamphlet), published by Guillemot Press
2019, Almost a Dream (chapbook), published by Sampson Low
2019, Imprints We Leave Behind (chapbook), published by Gang Press
2018, Clockwork (pamphlet), published by Ampersand Publishing
2018, Astropolis (poetry collection), published by HVTN Press
2017, Almost a Nightmare (chapbook), published by Sampson Low
2016, Tinsel Puke and Beetlejuice (book art)
Anthologies
2019, Included in the 'O Moon Moon' Cento by The Poetry Society
2019, In Erosion in Dirt by Corrupted Poetry
2019, Station to Station in 'Europoe' by Kingston University Press
2019, Collected poems in Berfrois: The Book by Dostoyevsky Wannabe
2018, Sea to Spawn in 'The Creel' by Guillemot Press
2018, Neo-Futurist Manifesto in No, Robot, No! by Sidekick Books
2018, Xenelasia in ‘Wretched Strangers’ by Boiler House Press
2018, Selection on poems in ‘Bedford Square Anthology 11’ by Ward Wood
Printed Magazine Publications
2019, Selection Tool in Alterity 5 by Corbel Stone Press
2019, Selected poems from 'Stargarzing' in Issue 9 of Fur-lined Ghettos
2019, Selected poems from 'Stargarzing' in Issue 3 of Stag Hill Journal
2019, Flights, issue 2 of ToCall Magazine
2018, Glass Apex and Reflexia in issue 9 of The Projectionist's Playground
2018, Dots and Helix, Issue 4.1 of HTVN Magazine
2018, Zn for Trauma and Flexland, Volume 2 Issue 1 of Eborakon Journal
2017, Hypnosis 400gr and Gastropod Euphoria, third issue of the Tangerine
2017, Glamorama and How to Clean Your Toilet in Summer Issue of Cuntry Living Zine
Online Magazine Publications
2019, Zoomorhphic and Decoded at Burning House Press (Voices Issue)
2019, Selected constellations poems at Queen Mob's Tea House
2019, Selected poems from 'Stargazing' in Issue 10 of Petrichor Journal
2019, Selected poems from 'Stargarzing' in Issue 2 of Harana Poetry
2019, Fear is a Colour and Furry Spirit at Berfrois Magazine
2018, Selected poems from Astropolis at Burning House Press (November Issue)
2018, Collected constellation poems at November Issue of Stride Magazine
2018, Androgynous in issue 4 of Moonchild Magazine
2018, Aphrodite, Galaxoplasty, In denial, Best Friend Goals and No Hope at Issue 1 of Erotoplasty
2017, QR Hypnoburst, 2017 Advent Calendar of Sidekick Books
2017, Poems from my 'Aphrodisiac' sequence at 3:am magazine
2017, 700,513 views, November issue of Stride Magazine
2017, Zig Zags in November Issue of Stride Magazine
2017, Below Ground Level in Young Poets Network website
2016, Idle Idols, Appliqué Lace and Miss V, in Synchronised Chaos Magazine
2016, Memoirs of a Whore in Vol 3, Chapter 6 of Visual Verse Anthology
2016, Rays of Pain in Issue 46 of Streetcake Magazine
2017, Ostracised and 19XX in March Issue of Stride Magazine
Poetry Readings/Performances
2019, Reading from Stargazing at Chener Books, London
2019, Reading at the Bodmin Moor Poetry Festival, Bodmin
2019, Performing from 'imprints we leave behind' at the Beehive, London
2019, Performance at The Poet's Brut Exhibition Launch at the Poetry Cafe, London
2019, Eel-themed performance with Guillemot Press at the Dutch Church, London
2019, Performing as part of the Enemies Project at the Hungarian Cultural Centre, London
2019, Reading from 'Almost a Dream' at the South London Gallery
2019, Performing at The Poetry Society's Poem-A-Thon at the Poetry Cafe, London
2019, Performing at the Heroines Launch at the Harrison Pub, London
2019, Performing with Oliver Fox and Sean Tomlin at Dirt at the Poetry Cafe, London
2019, Reading at the Queen Mob's Tea Party at the Torriano Meeting House, London
2019, Reading at the Berfrois Anthology Book Launch at the Second Shelf, London
2019, Reading from Wretched Strangers at Xing the Line at the Iklectik, London
2018, Performance at IGNOR Festival at Klub Gromka, Ljubljana
2018, Ampersand Poetry Night at 504 Arch, London
2018, Reading at Writers' Centre Kingston event at the Rose Theatre, Kingston
2018, Neo-futurist Manifesto at the Free Verse Poetry Book Fair, London
2018, Bedford Square 11 launch at the Senate House, London
2018, PRAXIS 10 at the Café OTO, London
2018, A-Z of Villainy at the Betsey Trotwood, London
2018, 'Astropolis' book launch at the Peckham Pelican, London
2018, Performing at the Theatre of Failure Poetry Night, London
2018, Opening night of the European Poetry Festival at the Rose Theatre, Kingston
2017, Reading from 'Almost a Nightmare' at Conway Hall, London
2017, 'Almost a Nightmare' book launch with Contraband Live, London
2017, Poetry Reading at the Kensal Green Cemetery Chapel, London
2017, European Poetry reading at Libreria, London
2016, Reading from 'Tinsel Puke and Beetlejuice' at Conway Hall, London
Collaborations
2019, A Pot of Spores, collaboration with Maria Sledmere at Torriano Meeting House, London
2019, Dirt, collaboration with Oliver Fox and Sean Tomlin at the Poetry Café, London
2019, European Poetry Festival, collaboration with Lina Buividavičiūtė at the Rick Mix, London
2019, European Camarade, collaboration with Michal Piotrowski at the Gulbenkian, Canterbury
2019, Instruct-Act-Attempt, collaboration with Sarah Dawson at the Museum of Futures, London
2019, Pathetic Pathogens, collaboration with Oliver Fox at the Avivson Gallery, London
2019, The Vienna Camarade, collaboration with Arvis Viguls at the Einbaumöbel, Vienna
2018, European Camarade, collaboration with Ellie Tsatsou, at the Rich Mix, London
2018, Ampersand Exhibition, collaboration with Emily Russell Thomas, London
2018, HVTN Magazine (Issue 4.1), collaboration with Emily Russell Thomas
2018, European Poetry Festival, collaboration with Muanis Sinanović, Rich Mix, London
2018, Scribbling & Scrawling, collaboration with Dacy Lim at the Museum of Futures, London
2017, European Poetry Night, collaboration with Henriette Støren at the Rich Mix, London
2017, University Camarade, collaboration with Phoebe Power at the Rich Mix, London
Recordings
2019, Reading Pond by Harry Gilonis for the Konch Podcast
2019, Wilderness for the poetry blog of Pamenar Press
2019, Reading from Mina Loy's 'The Lunar Baedeker' in Ep. 69 of a poem a week
2019, Reading a selection of poems at Episode 121 of Lunar Poetry Podcasts
2019, Heliolatry at Ep.58 of a poem a week
2017, Experiment B and Beauty Bias at Issue 2 of Rascal Journal
Talks
2019, Neo-futurism and Beyond, artBLAB at Canvas Café, London
2018, Talk on Mina Loy and Futurism, Dead [Women] Poets Society at the Poetry Cafè, London
Reviews
2018, Review of Nic Stringer's 'A day that you happen to know' in Autumn Issue 68 of Tears in the Fence
2017, Review of Rosmarie Waldrop's 'White is a Color' in November Issue of Stride Magazine
2017, Review of Daragh Breen's 'What the Wolf Heard' in June Issue of Stride Magazine
Awards
2019, Shortlisted for the Zealous Mixed Media Art Prize, UK
2018, Not the Not the Booker Prize winner, UK
2017, Commended at the YPN Edgelands challenge, UK
2016, Pébéo Mixed Media Art Prize winner, UK
Group Exhibitions
2019, The Poet's Brut Group Exhibition, Poetry Cafe, London
2019, Poetography Exhibition, Museum of Futures, London
2019, Love Tokens and Bad Pennies Exhibition at #unsettledgallery, London
2018, Ampersand poetry & art evening, 504 Arch, London
2018, Instagram Poetry Exhibition, National Poetry Library (Southbank Centre), London
2018, Scribbling & Scrawling Exhibition, Museum of Futures, London
2016, Pébéo Art Exhibition, A&D Gallery, London
2014, Pro Arté International Group Exhibition, The Studio, Guildford
2013, Group Student Design Show, Ivy Arts Centre, Guildford
2013, Pro Arté International Group Exhibition, The Studio, Guildford
Residencies
2019, Roger and Laura Farnworth Arts Residency, Bodmin
Translations include poems into:
Slovenian by Muanis Sinanović, Spanish by Enrique Viana Suberviola, Russian by Maria Malinovskaya.
Interviews/Article mentions
2019, Kostya Tsolákis interviews Astra Papachristodoulou, Harana Poetry, Issue 3
2019, 5 Questions with Astra Papachristodoulou, The Importance of Being Aloof
2019, Wombwell Rainbow Interviews: Astra Papachristodoulou, Wombwell Rainbow
2018, Interview with Steven J Fowler by Muanis Sinanović for Radio Študent FM 89.3
2018, A new generation of poets emerges on Instagram, National Poetry Library website
2017, Astra Papachristodoulou highly commended by Poetry Society, Royal Holloway website
2016, Positively Pebeo: Artists Tips & Techniques, Cass Art website
2016, Astra takes first prize in UK art competition, University of Surrey website
2016, Astra Papachristodoulou wins Art Prize, Rodiaki Newspaper, vol. 21321, p. 16
2016, Rhodian Artist in London Gallery, Rodiaki Newspaper, vol. 21314, p. 16