George the Poet set alight the London Literature Festival on 20th October 2023 at the Southbank Centre, with his show ‘George the Poet Presents.’ Weaving poetry, music and conversation with friends and fellow poets Sophia Thakur, Henry Stone, Proph and Inua Ellams, the event turned out to be an evening of joy and deep reflection.
Curated by George the Poet, the show coincided with Black History month. The theme of Black British heritage ran high throughout the programme with George the Poet taking inspiration from his newly published anthology ‘Part of a Story that Started Before Me’ to frame the discussions. He himself poked fun at the notion of Black History fitting into only one month through a poem he reprised at intervals during the evening.
Sophia Thakur put her words to soulful music, delivering hard hitting lyrics in a soft spoken voice often bursting into song for the chorus.
Inua Ellams, recited a series of poems which touched on themes of empire, love and his home country Nigeria, moving audiences with a rawness of emotion.
Henry Stone and Proph, two emerging spoken word artists raised questions about mental health amongst young Black males and the struggles of growing up in south London, tackling topics that provoked thought, in a refreshing manner that belied their ages.
The conversation was rounded off with a talk hosted by Leah Davis, the Capital XTRA radio presenter and stand-up comedian. Leah delved into the subject of George the Poet’s new anthology, his work as a spoken word artist and personal journey that has brought him to the present day.Â
For more about the London Literature Festival which runs until 29th October visit: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on?