The Last Wolf in England

The Last Wolf poems were written in collaboration with people who have experienced homelessness and other vulnerable people. They ask the question — who is the wolf at the door? Other poems address marginalisation more globally, including material from a war crime trial. Maybe we’ll chase the wild wolves in ourselves to the very edge of eternity?

TRACKS:
Crystal Meth, Summer Snowmen, Fox News, September Wolves, A Box of Delights, The Last Wolf in England, How to Find Your Spirit Animal in a Time of Extinction, September Wolves (reprise), Mercy, The Drina Wolves, Skip Tracer.

Interviews and poems were edited into soundscapes, working alongside producer Sophie Cooper, singer Christine Johnson, violinist Carolyn Francis, cellist Barbara Grunthal, guitarist Ric Lord (with engineer Steve Allen) and drummer Ian Davenport.

Further visual material was developed in collaboration with artist Liz Collini.

Project Diary

A diary 2023-23 Last Wolf in England

A diary 2023-23 Last Wolf in England

If you stay out of the way the English Leave you alone But they’re busy bodies And if you’re dangerous, they’ll send marksmen With bows of burning gold. It’s a…
PhilPhil
Crazy Dog

Crazy Dog

We were standing in the queue for some food and I asked him how he was doing. He was wearing pyjamas, with an anorak over the top. One of his…
PhilPhil
Gravestone

Gravestone

I talk to BJ at the street homeless centre in Lancaster. He is a head taller than me, a beard that’s a huge thicket, eyes that hide in his face.…
PhilPhil
Fear

Fear

We watch wind sprites make their fingerprints on the surface of Kentmere reservoir. Walking back in the dusk, braced against the end of the night. As we drive home, see…
PhilPhil
Crown of Thorns

Crown of Thorns

The Crown of Thorns is an ancient Welsh stone circle renamed in Christian times for its resemblance to the crown used to torture Christ in the last stages of his…
PhilPhil
Wolf DJ

Wolf DJ

For the last three times I’ve been into the street homeless centre  LDHAS I’ve had long conversations with BJ about wolves and their meaning. BJ called himself a lone wolf…
PhilPhil

Project Directors

  • Philip Davenport

Artists

  • Readers: Dom, Francis, Madhuri, Phil, Steve
  • Interviewees: Anonymous, BJ, Grahame, Ste
  • Barbara Grunthal — cello
  • Christine Johnson — singer/songwriter
  • Carolyn Francis — violins/composition
  • Ian Davenport — percussion
  • Ric Lord (with engineer Steve Allen) — guitar & keyboards
  • Sophie Cooper — producer

Partners

  • Lancaster & District Homeless Action Service (LDHAS)
  • Manna House, Kendal