Hannah Silva is a writer and performer working in sound poetry, radio, and experimental non-fiction. Her record ‘Talk in a bit’ was included in the Wire‘s Top 25 Albums of 2018. She has written eight plays for BBC Radio 3 and 4, and won the Tinniswood Award for best script and numerous placements in the BBC Audio Drama Awards.
Her debut poetry collection Forms of Protest was Highly Commended in the Forward Prizes and her play for BBC Radio 4 ‘An Artificially Intelligent Guide to Love’ starred Fiona Shaw and was the starting point for My Child, the Algorithm – her latest book.
Next week, she performs at Glastonbury Festival in the Theatre & Circus fields’ Poetry&Words tent. Ahead of gates opening, we caught up with her to find out what it’s like to be performing at the festival.
Q&A with Hannah Silva
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I’ve been writing and performing for over twenty years. My performance work began from being drawn to the melodies and rhythms of spoken language. I like to compose with language as if it is music, layering up vocal sounds using a loop station. I often strip meaning away so that I can gradually rebuild it, in order to critique the language and rhetoric that surrounds us and to question what it is we really mean. I recently published a book, My Child, the Algorithm, which is about queer single parenting and love. I wrote it in conversation with my child and with an early open-source glitchy Large Language Model (years before ChatGPT was released). I’ve also released an album with musicians called ‘Talk in a bit’.
Q. How did you get into live performance?
I started by performing at open mic nights in Devon. I have a background in music and theatre – performing my own writing was cheap and easy and a good way to avoid the gatekeepers.
What’s it like to be performing at this year’s Glastonbury Festival?
I haven’t been to Glastonbury Festival since I was eighteen – and I barely remember it… This will be my first time performing at the festival, and I’m bringing my partner and my child, so I’m a little nervous about the logistics but can’t wait to soak up the atmosphere.
What can you tell us about your plans for the shows?
A. I’ll do a few pieces with the loop station that I’ve been performing for many years. I will also perform some extracts from my latest book, My Child, the Algorithm — my favourite chapter was written by AI in response to me asking it to write a scene depicting codependency between two women in love. It wrote “breasts, breasts, breasts, breasts….” 265 times and concluded, “all women in love”.
How do you approach performing at a festival like this?
Festival audiences are challenging as people come and go, some will just be there to shelter from rain (or hopefully the sun), or because they want to see the next act. Generally pieces with soundscapes and energy work well. It’s fun to surprise audiences with something they’ve never encountered before. This year I’ve been navigating a chronic illness, so it’s a challenge to rehearse and to use my voice the way I like to, but I love performing and it’s a privilege to be part of the vibrant poetry community.
Will you be checking out any other acts across the weekend?
I’m learning BSL so am particularly looking forward to the BSL Poet Laureate, Ishtiaq Hussain’s set in the Poetry & Words tent. If negotiation/bribes go well I’m hoping to escape from the Kidzfield to check out the acoustic stage and Ani DiFranco, and am very excited to see Kneecap.
Hannah Silva performs in the Theatre & Circus fields at Glastonbury Festival 2025
