Poetry Jukebox Plays Nothing But The Hits

LONDON -- The Poetry Jukebox, also known as the Poetry Periscope, has been installed at various locations around London, including the British Library. It will make an England-wide tour soon.

Designed to bring poetry to the street, the jukebox concept originated in the Czech Republic in 2015 with an installation in Prague. Each bright yellow periscope-shaped poetry juke offers a choice of 30 poems for free. Pop-up installations are planned for Venice, Lodz, Berlin, Kiev and New York.

The brainchild of Prague-based café owner and urban activist OndÅ™ej Kobza, the device is said to reimagine public spaces in which spoken culture is prominent. In a previous entertainment experiment, he placed eight pianos on the street around Prague for passersby to play.

ROSES ARE RED, ETC....The Poetry Jukebox is an arts installation designed to bring poetry to urban areas. Offering a choice of 30 classic poems, locally curated, the device is set to go on tour worldwide.