KATE Tempest, acclaimed poet, recording artist and playwright is returning to Brighton this Saturday with her new spoken word show The Book Of Traps And Lessons.

She is twice Mercury nominated and was named a “next-generation poet” by The Poetry Society in 2014, an accolade awarded only once every ten years.

She has made her name with blistering performances described in the national press as having “the metre and craft of traditional poetry, the kinetic agitation of hip-hop and the intimacy of a whispered heart to heart”.

The Book Of Traps And Lessons is a 45-minute album written in collaboration with the musician Dan Carey, produced by Rick Rubin.

Kate, left, said working with Rick challenged the way she writes, the process was improvised and very much a journey. She said: “With my old albums, I began with a map and filled in the details, but this was a process of discovery.”

She describes the fairytale experience of recording at Shangri-La studios in Malibu: “I can’t explain what that place means like someone to me.

"The whole frequency in which everyone is operating is different. It’s like a magic place. Everything is clear and hot, and there’s grapefruit growing on trees.”

Despite the pretensions of fame, Kate has never lost her grounding.

When asked who is Kate Tempest, she answered “Kate Tempest is the words”.

Her appeal crosses generations and to see one of her performances is to experience first hand words that blast through you like an electrical storm.

She is a one-woman deflection of all that is consumerist, disposable, careless.

As director of Brighton Festival in 2017 she brought her vision, epic in theme and local in scale, to the arts programme. She has spoken of her “deep affinity” with Brighton.

As curator of the festival she focused on outreach work in less affluent areas such as Whitehawk. She said: “I was able to have an effect on which kinds of artists were getting booked.

"We put on gigs in youth clubs on the outskirts of Brighton and managed to push the festival out of the centre and into the neighbourhoods a bit more.”

Her legacy endures and an early version of this album was played at Hamilton Youth Club and Whitehawk community centre. She said Brighton had a huge part in this album coming to life, adding: “I walk around and I feel part of the family there.”