Publicity-shy Brian Bilston has been described as the Banksy of poetry and Twitter’s unofficial laureate, with more than 400,000 followers on social media. He’s currently touring with writer, poet and Radio 4 fixture Henry Normal, who co-created The Royle Family, and co-founded production company Baby Cow with Steve Coogan, along the way bringing us seminal TV comedies such as The Mighty Boosh, Ideal and Nighty Night. 

How’s the tour going?

Brian Bilston: Brilliant. We were just in Oxford, my hometown, and 600 people came along.

Henry Normal: . . . on a Tuesday. You get thousands watching football. But no poet ever sold out Wembley. Allen Ginsberg coming over in the 60s was probably the biggest.

I guess Leonard Cohen or Gil Scott-Heron might have drawn big crowds?

HN: Yeah, but they were always doing it with music. We’ve no dancers.

BB: We’re strictly a cappella.

As gentlemen of a certain age, how do you find touring?

BB: We’re quite rock’n’roll. So it takes a toll.

HN: Brian is surprisingly young, I think you’ll find. Almost a babe in poetry circles.

BB: Like a lot of poets I don’t drive and have to contend with Network Rail when I do solo shows. Partnering with Henry has been like a dream. Well, like having a chauffeur.

Why don’t poets drive?

BB: They prefer a scenic view. Staring aimlessly out of a window into the middle distance. They can’t concentrate for long periods.

HN: I’m looking forward to driving round Scotland though; some of the scenery is absolutely gorgeous. Much better than Birmingham.

How are Scottish audiences?

HN: Very warm. I was on at the Assembly Rooms at midnight once during the Edinburgh Fringe, and people used to come in, sleep, then wake at the end.

You both employ pseudonyms. What’s it like being an alter ego?

BB: Well, mine is slightly accidental. I joined Twitter under my pseudonym and it blossomed from there. I write one small step removed from who I actually am, so it’s quite helpful to think ‘right, I’m Brian for the next three hours’. Even now I struggle with the idea that I’m a poet.

HN: I changed my name back in the 80s. I was touring with Pulp and a lot of the Sheffield bands. But as an insurance broker, I’d often come straight from work in my suit. By calling myself Henry Normal I was getting the joke in before all these punks and post-punks. And it meant my boss didn’t find out. Or the taxman.

Brian started as an Alan Partridge-type character, so you’ve both got a Steve Coogan link?

BB: ‘Brian Bilston’ was a correspondent for the Dudley Echo when I first joined Twitter. I had a spoof football team and did match reports.

HN: I produced the Partridge film and obviously worked with Steve for many years. I didn’t really write for Partridge because I was working on Mrs Merton and The Royle Family; he was working with his posh London mates. I’ve been lucky. My superpower is working with very good people, whether it be Caroline Aherne, Linda Smith, Hattie Hayridge, the Gavin & Stacey lot, and now Brian. I’ve a knack for being in the right room.

Henry, you've essentially retired from television. But can you ever switch off from being a poet?

HN: I’d like to think all the TV and film work I did had an element of poetry. I started off as a poet-comedian and they’re both trying to find a greater truth. But poetry is a very personal, one-to-one communication. Making Philomena was brilliant but there were 400 people working on it.

Were you poetically inclined before Twitter, Brian?

BB: I’d be at some terrible sales conference. At night, I’d scuttle back to my hotel room and write passive-aggressive poetry about senior managers. It took a while to realise it was something I might share with others.

Henry, I understand your autistic son brought you back to writing?

HN: I made 450 television programmes while trying to bring up an autistic kid. Being a bit autistic myself, I thought I’d sort out all our photos. Some made me cry; some joyous; some angry. Describing those photos to myself got me back into poetry after 20 years. Johnny is 25 now and still severely autistic, but we have a great life.

Brian, does poetry help you process?

BB: Absolutely. I’ve written a lot about politics. But on social media, you get into your own echo chamber. I remember realising my last seven or eight poems were about Brexit or Trump.

HN: There’s no mob or anti-government violence at our shows. We don’t whip ’em up; we’re in cardigans.

BB: There’s a role for poetry in having a voice about bigger things though. We find joy in the everyday but focusing on that alone wouldn’t be right.

HN: There is serious stuff. Humour just stops you slitting your wrists with the pages.

What’s next?

BB: I’m thinking about a sequel to my novel, Diary Of A Somebody. And I’ve a collection of poetry for kids.

HN: A packet of Hobnobs.
Brian Bilston & Henry Normal are on tour until Wednesday 24 April.