Initially known simply as Joolz, Denby first gained recognition for herself as a touring "punk" performance poet one of the first to gain recognition in modern times and one of the only women to do so. She now does not consider herself a 'performance poet' as the style has changed radically since she began performing, but rather designates herself a 'spoken-word artist' as she considers that title more accurate in view of her unique presentation skills and the fact that her poetry is serious. This has gained her the media description of 'The Queen Of UK Spoken Word'.
She often performs at the same venues as musical acts and has been a regular performer at music festivals such as Roskilde, Reading and at Glastonbury Festival (where she has performed in the Theatre and Cabaret Marquees for over 24 years) as well as Arts and Literature Festivals globally. She is still known internationally for her performance work and her constant search for excellence in all her artistic fields, which have led her to be considered one of the UK's most polymathic and high-achieving working artists. Starting in 1983 with singles, spoken word recordings, sometimes solo, but usually in collaboration with musicians Jah Wobble, the legendary underground cult band New Model Army with New Model Army's singer/songwriter Justin Sullivan and New York Alcoholic Anxiety Attack.
Denby is also an illustrative artist, professional tattoo artist and photographer who exhibits regularly. She designed all of New Model Army's and New York Alcoholic Anxiety Attack's merchandise ranges and illustrated the vast majority of their sleeve art, as well as those of her own releases and has an Arts Council/Yorkshire Museums & Galleries international touring exhibition of her work for NMA entitled 'One Family, One Tribe: The Art & Artifacts Of New Model Army'.. Her exhibition on the theme of elective body modification, 'The Body Carnival' ran from October 30 2008 until November 30 2008 at Cartwright Hall, Bradford and is held in the gallery's store as a touring exhibition.
Subsequently, she published poetry collections and, from 2000 onwards, novels. Denby continues to perform regularly to large audiences at live venues and appears on television and radio. Known for the beauty, musicality and emotive tone of her speaking voice, she has also recorded a number of unabridged audio books, including two based on two of her novels (for one of which, 'Stone Baby', Denby won the US Audio Industry 'Earphone Award'). Denby also manages the upcoming young Northern band New York Alcoholic Anxiety Attack with whom she also has a side-project, 'Death By Rock N' Roll' featuring live performances of her poetry set to rock music written especially for her by the band. Denby works on screenplay project "Exilée" and "Secret Angles" with film maker Nemo Sandman and accepts commissions for her poetry, including an eponymous one (later adapted into a short film) for Bradford Council as part of the city's bid for 2008 Capital of Culture. She also wrote the poem 'Northlands', commissioned by Yorkshire Forward for their Regional Economic Strategy Document, and poems for The Royal Armouries, The Captain Cook Museum Whitby and Alchemy Asian Arts amongst others. In 2006 Denby was designated a Cultural Revolutionary by the Northern arts festival Illuminate for her contribution to the region's arts and her home city of Bradford in particular. She was also given an Honorary Doctorate by Bradford University for her role as a cultural ambassador for Bradford.
Denby won the Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger award for her first novel, Stone Baby. The CWA also nominated the novel for a John Creasey Memorial Dagger prize for best first crime novel. Her third novel, Billie Morgan, based on some of her personal experiences in the biker subculture of the 1970s, made the shortlist for the 2005 Orange Prize. Denby's fifth collection of poetry 'Pray for Us Sinners' (Comma Press) was published in 2006 and her fourth novel, Borrowed Light (ISBN 1-85242-905-4) was published in February 2006 by Serpent's Tail). An autobiography, The Invisible Child, is among other forthcoming works which include her new novels, 'Wild Thing', 'Midnight at The Rat N' Roses' and 'Miss Larkin Disappears'.
Mad, Bad, & Dangerous To Know, (Virgin Books, 1986)
Emotional Terrorism, (Bloodaxe Books, 1990)
The Pride of Lions, (Bloodaxe Books, (1994)
Errors of the Spirit, (Flambard Press 2000)
Pray For Us Sinners, (Comma Press, 2005)
Novels
Stone Baby, (HarperCollins, 2000)
Corazon, (HarperCollins, 2001)
Billie Morgan, (Serpent's Tail, 2004)
Borrowed Light, (Serpent's Tail, 2006)
Select Discography
Love is Sweet Romance (EMI, EP with music by New Model Army)
Bad, Mad & Dangerous to Know (EMI, EP with music by New Model Army)
Hex (EMI, 1990; music by New Model Army)
Weird Sister (Intercord Records, 1991; music by Justin Sullivan)
Joolz 1983-1985 (Abstract Records, 1993; compilation of Abstract Records material with music by Jah Wobble, Justin Sullivan and other musicians, collecting her first audio recordings)
True North (Wooltown Records, 1995 or 1997, music by Justin Sullivan)
Red Sky Coven, Volumes 1&2 (1999, live collective recording of Red Sky Coven, with Joolz on some of the tracks)
Red Sky Coven, Volume 3
Spirit Stories (poetry set to music by Justin Sullivan) Attack Attack Records: 2008
Audio Books
Stone Baby (2000, reading of her novel)
Billie Morgan (2005, reading of her novel)
The Accidental (Ali Smith; audio recording by Joolz Denby)
