Agnes Török: A Voice for Performance Poetry & Reading Promotion
With roots in Sweden and an international career, Agnes Török has established themselves as one of the most engaging voices in modern poetry. Agnes Török is Sweden’s Reading Ambassador, a spoken word poet, and an author. Recently, they were also appointed as the lead instructor for the new university program in Performance Poetry and Storytelling at The Stockholm University College of Music Education (SMI).
“I was very close to not applying to become Sweden’s Reading Ambassador…”
Agnes Török won their first Poetry Slam as a teenager and has toured internationally for several years, performing in theaters, stand-up clubs, and literary festivals. In addition, Agnes has appeared in two TED Talks and written poetry for the BBC. It was perhaps not so surprising when, in September 2024, Agnes was appointed as Sweden’s new Reading Ambassador and lead instructor for the new university program in Performance Poetry and Storytelling at The Stockholm University College of Music Education, one of five universities and colleges at Campus Flemingsberg.
“I was very close to not applying to become Sweden’s new Reading Ambassador because I thought, I know 10 people who would be perfect for this, and I’m not one of them. Then I applied anyway, and this is how it turned out. I’m very happy about it — it just gets more exciting the longer you do it.”
Educating the Cultural School Teachers of Tomorrow
As the program director for the newly launched university program in Performance Poetry and Storytelling at SMI, Agnes explains how their international experiences have greatly influenced the program’s design.
“I lived for many years in Scotland, in Edinburgh, and in London there’s also the Spoken Word Educator program at Goldsmiths’ University. They have long worked with what we are doing here — training the equivalent of cultural school teachers in Performance Poetry and Storytelling.”
Agnes further shares that they chose to bring in one of the teachers from the Spoken Word Educator program to draw inspiration for shaping SMI’s program in Performance Poetry and Storytelling.
What is your view on the future of Performance Poetry in Sweden and internationally?
“It’s so bright! Something happening right now in Sweden that I’m really happy about is not only this program but also that Spoken Word is starting to be seen as a reading promotion method in many different places across the country. This means it reaches many more people — especially this year, with the Swedish Poetry Slam Championships being held in Norrbotten. It’s great news for Spoken Word across Sweden and a fantastic event organized by Norrscen.”
Finally, Agnes Török has not only shaped a groundbreaking educational program and promoted reading but, together with SMI, is also contributing to strengthening Campus Flemingsberg as a hub for knowledge, creativity, and innovation.
