17th November
Doors 1830
Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa reads from and explores her innovative debut poetry collection, Cane, Corn & Gully. Described by Roger Robinson as 'a joyous liberatory dance against oppression', the book combines Safiya’s dance and poetry practice, focusing on the histories of enslaved women in Barbados and their descendants, and is the Poetry Book Society 2022 Winter Choice.
Safiya will be in conversation about her work with T.S. Eliot Prize-shortlisted poet and Out-Spoken Press founder, Anthony Anaxagorou.
"the presence of trauma does not mean the absence of hope. In my poems the women rise, they shout, they sing, they get back up and they demonstrate unprecedented power" — Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa
Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa is a British born Barbadian raised poet, dancer and choreographer. Her interdisciplinary art braids dance and poetry on the page and stage. She is also a PhD student in Cultural Studies at the University of Leeds. She is an Obsidian Foundation fellow and an Apples & Snakes/ Jerwood Arts Poetry in Performance recipient. Her notable commissions include writing for English Heritage, BBC Bitesize and The Wailers. Her work has appeared in a variety of journals including Poetry London, Poetry Review, Caribbean Writer and Wasafiri. Safiya is also a national and international spoken word champion and came third place in The London Magazine Poetry Prize (2022).
Cane, Corn & Gully is Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa’s first poetry collection.