Describe yourself in 3 words…
Curious, bold, imaginative.
What inspires you?
God. The world. Other people; other artists, and their art. Good questions.
Tell us about your worst ever gig?
The audience were quiet, but the background noise in the venue was quite loud. I felt tense and so silly because it was a headline I was really looking forward to. I wore a big fluffy hat and I just felt like sinking into it. It was quite late and so everybody was pretty tired. Sometimes they’re just not feeling it!
What’s your number one poetry pet peeve?
Dramatic pauses for the sake of it.
Whose words do you love at the moment?
Warsan Shire. Ismatu Gwendolyn. My dear friend, Arifah.
What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
Believe in yourself every step of the way!
If you could live in any fictional world, which one would it be?
It’s between Earthsea and the Dr Seuss universe. Earth kingdom gets a shoutout too.
Chloe Tenesha Giles
Chloe Tenesha Giles aka TENÉSHAS is a poet and spoken word artist originally from Bristol, based in London, and of Caribbean descent. Her work has taken her across the UK to facilitate and perform, and in 2025 she reached the finals of the Roundhouse Poetry Slam. Her work explores the bridge between inner and outer worlds. She believes in the Baldwinian idea that “the intangible dreams of people have a tangible effect on the world” and uses her poetry to question the worlds within and around us. Chloe is just getting started in her journey; she aims to take her work to big stages and new pages as she continues to develop her craft.
Insta: @chloe.tenesha
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