Profession: performer

Cobbing, more than anyone, kept visual, concrete and performance poetry in Britain alive and kicking for decades. His extensive set of connections, national and international, is infuriatingly hard to pin down authoriatively. As an organiser of readings, performances, events, and as a bookseller and publisher, he pulled in fellow-conspirators and collaborators from Houédard to Jandl to Chopin (he and Chopin were not always on speaking terms). He planned a celebrated poetry event with Ginsberg and Trocchi, and collaborated with Upton for over 30 years. Toop (like Lockwood) was one of his several musical collaborators.