Tag: Poetry

Colombian Chronicles: A Mature Student’s Adventure

On By Shibra KhanIn Uncategorized1 Comment

ON May 31, 2025 / BY EDITORS GEORGE DAVEY & SHIBRA KHAN / LEAVE A COMMENT

Every year, The Brunel Writer Prize is awarded to the student with the highest graded article submission for the Creative Industries module on Brunel University’s Creative Writing Programme. Shibra Khan was a runner-up for The Brunel Writer Prize 2025 with her travel memoir, Colombian Chronicles: A Mature Student’s Adventure.

Universidad del Rosario art studio, Bogota. Photo by Diana R.

My journey of self-discovery took an unexpected turn in 2024. Amidst the whirlwind of my husband’s parliamentary campaign in 2024 (let’s just say #YesWeKhan was trending harder than my sanity), an invitation to join the Colombian study trip was like a serendipitous dream within a dream. I never imagined this journey would become a crash course in ‘Me, Inc.’, learning more about myself as a mature student than the captivating country itself.

El Dorado International Airport, Bogota              First introductory class at the University of Rosario. Photos by University of Rosario staff

As a seasoned wordsmith embarking on my third degree in Creative Writing, learning Spanish, my fifth language, felt like a thrilling new chapter. I craved more than just postcard moments. I yearned to fully immerse myself in Colombian culture: savouring soul-nourishing dishes like, ajiaco, empanadas and arepas; exploring its vibrant literature and the rich history of its indigenous lands; and experiencing the music that flows from six distinct regions, moving into the rhythms of salsa and cumbia, to the sounds of guacharaca and maracas. From the coasts of the Caribbean to the Pacific, I longed to feel the unifying power of its melodies, the renowned art, gold museums and witness the vibrancy of Rosario Square.

Fruit Market, Bogota

Villa De Leyva, Colombia Photo by University of Rosario staff Fruit Market, Bogota

From the exhilarating first hola of the Spanish lesson to the poignant adios in the Arts and Literature class, echoing the profound themes of One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, the halls of Rosario University were alive with an undiminished excitement. Waking up at 5 AM for Tinto (that magical Colombian coffee) might have tested my sanity, but the early night reflections at 10 PM provided a welcome balm for my middle-aged bones. I learned valuable life lessons, like the fact that washing machine tokens are a renewable resource (who knew?). Age, I discovered, isn’t just a number; it’s a dotted line connecting wisdom and increasingly peculiar experiences like getting gloriously, hilariously lost on the very first day of my trip.

A beautiful mural painting, Bogota                Photographed by author, Gold Museum, Bogota

Imagine me, a Shibra, stumbling into the Colombian wonderland, wide-eyed, where my ‘true self’ was redefined not as some intrepid explorer but as a sloth masquerading as a human. The vibrant rows of exotic local fruits like guanabana and lulu, paired with the eye-catching Embera beadwork crafted by Chami Tribe artisans in the streets of Bogotá, were an exhilarating sensory overload.  In the main market of downtown Bogota, hawkers tempted me with guarapo with a hint of limón, a sugarcane juice so delicious I almost licked the llamas, nonchalantly parading around Botero’s plump sculptures as if they were auditioning for a surrealist art film. This unforgettable experience stands as a testament to the tireless efforts of both Brunel and Rosario universities.

University of the Rosary, Bogotá    Photographed by the author & University of Rosario staff    Innovation and Entrepreneurship campus

This trip was a much-needed escape from the everyday grind of mature student life, balancing studies, family, and a social life that often revolved around debating the merits of healthy eating. Tejo, a beloved Colombian sport of throwing metal disks at a circular target, earned me the prestigious title of ‘Queen of Tejo’ (much to the amusement of my tender muscles). My creativity was reignited by the vibrant street art of Bogota, where the secret language of graffiti left me marvelling at the inventiveness of the mural’s artistry.

Winning at Tejo is always fun     Photographed by the Brunel University of London staff                     Lake at Villa De Leyva

Beyond the responsibility of representing my university, this Colombian adventure was a crash course in ‘Adulting Plus 101’, forcing me to balance academics with real-world demands. Climbing Bogota’s challenging hills, I learned that pushing my limits, both physically and mentally, can be incredibly rewarding. The whimsical charm of Villa de Leyva and the serene beauty of San Andres offered much-needed respite from the constant hum of academic stress. This trip instilled renewed confidence and a deeper appreciation for cultural exchange. I encourage fellow mature students to seize this opportunity; you might return a more well-rounded (no pun intended), slightly less stressed, and infinitely more enjoyable version of yourself. And who knows, you might even learn something about life you can’t find in any textbook.

Shibra Mariam Khan is a multilingual poet, writer, and community educator. Her journey has taken her from Pakistan to Norway and now to West London. She currently supports Syrian and Afghan refugees in integrating into their local communities. She is passionate about exploring her poetic voice as a global citizen, reflecting on her diasporic identity and the challenges of living across borders. Shibra co-edits the Brunel Writer blog and enjoys writing her reflections while travelling. Her interests include wholesome nutrition, advocating for social justice, and embracing the transformative power of language.
Stay connected with her latest writings via Instagram: @shibra_kh

Blood, Verse & Roses: Can Poetry Pay the Rent in 2025?

On By George DaveyIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

ON MAY 02, 2025 / BY EDITORS GEORGE DAVEY & SHIBRA KHAN

Every year, The Brunel Writer Prize is awarded to the student with the highest graded article submission for the Creative Industries module on Brunel University’s Creative Writing Programme. Rowan Reddington was a runner-up for The Brunel Writer Prize 2025 with his satirical analysis of the economics of being a poet in the 21st century.

The typical weeknight meal of a working poet.

I.

NO.*

II.

*Not unless you
do a Walt Whitman:

eat beans in a shed,
bin-dive for bread.

(Tricky since Aldi
began to lock the lids.

Don’t ask how the poet
knows about this…)

III. Switching to prose (-poetry?) for the deep dive…

The conventional answer is ‘Sorry, kid. Step away from the quill.’ You can eat, write, and rhyme… just not all three at once. It’s tough enough being a novelist. And people read novels.

This bleak prognosis is usually served with the caveat that writers need day jobs, side hustles, or rich benefactors (like an entrenched class system!). It won’t be long till you hear the c-word flying about.

Copywriting.

Because you honed your ear and eye and heart in order to line shareholders’ pockets, right? Because the primary role of the poet is to ease consumers’ suspicions that the annihilation of the living earth won’t be allayed by Fanta bottles being made from 80% recycled plastic… and the secondary role of the poet is to persuade the people on the escalators at Liverpool St. station that BAE systems are a cosy, family business not the stonehearted beneficiaries of industrial murder, yeah?

‘OK. So… not a fan of copywriting, then,’ says the bemused, well-meaning, but essentially disapproving distant relative/beleaguered colleague/long-suffering friend that you’ve cornered or been cornered by at some imaginary social function. (An optimistically early-season BBQ, let’s say).

The next unsolicited piece of advice, posing as a question and accompanied by aerial chunks of charred chipolata, that will leave this person’s mouth (once they’re done glancing furtively up at that dark, blimp-like raincloud on the horizon) will be: ‘You could be an Instapoet?’

You go to speak but they cut you off.

‘No wait, let me guess,’ they say, between glugs of warm cider (your second cousin was right: your great-uncle does have a drinking problem). ‘Peddling paper-thin platitudes that pander to the misanthropic tech conglomerates’ commodification of our very minds, via that euphemistically-named techno-succubus, the “attention economy”… that’s not poetry, either. Is it?’

Touché, Len! you want to shout.

But ‘cause you’re a deep and unfathomable Artist, you say: ‘Actually, I like Rupi Kaur. It’s not her fault I get stuck watching cat videos. And no one gets into Eliot first—’ dramatic pause as the first raindrops splatter off Len’s former-county-hockey-player nose. ‘Maybe, Len, milk and honey are gateway drugs?’

You’re pleased with that piece of dialogue. You make a mental note.

‘What?’ says Len, sheltering beneath an untouched platter of homemade coleslaw.

In my humble opinion, you’ve both got a point. On the one hand, it’s true that Instapoets may have saved poetry: the meteoric rise of poets like Kaur has coincided with a significant bump in sales. On the other, social media poetry must be get-able on first encounter. A recipe for vapid verse if there ever was one.

(𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚙𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚟𝚊𝚙𝚒𝚍 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎
𝟷 x 𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏-𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚝𝚞𝚍𝚎
𝟷 x 𝚛𝚎𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚜/𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚗
𝟷 x 𝚛𝚎𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚡

𝚕𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚢 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚔𝚎
𝚐𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚒𝚗 𝚙𝚞𝚗𝚌𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗-𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚠/𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚔𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚐
𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚕𝚍)

Anyway, getting back to what this article is ostensibly about, to get paid as an Instapoet you apparently had to be there early on. The best we can hope for now is some kind of trickledown poetic renaissance.

But probably the Lens of this world are right: it’s day jobs for the foreseeable. We’ll need to keep weighing our good coffee and fancy boxes of herbal tea as loose carrots at the self-service kiosk for a while yet, won’t we, poets?

Rowan is a poet and tree surgeon living in East London. His most recent publication is the short story ‘Beat Phase’, featured in the New Adult anthology ‘It’s Fine, I’m Fine’ (edited by Kat Gynn). It tells the story of a verbose and naive Ginsberg-fanatic’s move to London, that ‘cobbled, storied morgue where you can’t even yawn without swallowing ghosts’, and the subsequent anticlimax known as “adult life”.

Honouring the Memory of Professor Benjamin Zephaniah: A Literary Anthology by Brunel Creative Writing Students

On By brunelwriterIn Academic/Career, Brunel University, Brunel Writer, Creative writing, Submission Calls, UncategorizedLeave a comment

by Sundus Hassan Nooli (on behalf of the Brunel Literary Anthology)

A few days before the MA Creative Writing 2023 Winter Graduation, everyone – students, professors, readers – was rocked by the passing of Benjamin Zephaniah. His passing was felt around the world. And as the other side made way to greet him, it was beautiful to witness how many people were honouring his memory and art.

Benjamin Zephaniah was and still is a towering figure in the literary space, whose shoulders many of us, pupils, friends, and otherwise, stand upon.

To honour his powerful work in championing refugees, migrants, Blackness, humanity, justice, freedom, and street politics, the Brunel Literary Anthology invites former and current Creative Writing students from Brunel University London to submit their prose and poetry to BLA.

All are welcome to submit multiple works within a single submission, as long as they keep to the overall word count (further details below).

We welcome submissions of both poetry and short stories of any genre, including abstract and experimental fiction.

The submission guidelines are:

PROSE: 1,500 word limit, original piece, must not have been published elsewhere (personal websites and blogs included).

POETRY: Up to 4 poems.

For simultaneous submissions, in different genres, see example below:

You can submit up to:

• 2 short stories

OR

• 4 poems

OR

• 1 short story and 2 poems.

Deadline: February 26, 2024. Any and all questions and inquiries can be sent to blabla24@gmail.com. Submission link and further information can be found on our Instagram page.

With the blessing of Prof Zephaniah’s wife, all proceeds BLA makes will go directly to a charity of her choice.

Community Appreciation Day: Three Commended Poems

On By brunelwriterIn Brunel Writer, Creative writing, FeaturedLeave a comment

Following our submissions call for short poems exploring themes of appreciation, gratitude and thankfulness, and the publication of the communal cento (or quilt) poem earlier this week, we’re pleased to be sharing three of the poems that we felt really communicated the ethos of Appreciation Day as well as capturing some of the tender moments that have shaped experiences over the past year or so.

The first poem we’d like to share is ‘On my list’ by Wendy Allen. We love the sensory detail and tactility of this poem, its meditation on touch, its almost palpable sense of longing, of desire…

‘On my list’

ruby jewelled lipstick the colour of Mooncup,

29.3ml of sediment red which remains defiantly matte

when we kiss passionately on the Southbank.

Red Riding Hood lips against you against the yellow

façade of The Hayward Gallery, I want you.

An old cardigan pulled tight becomes a life vest, I want

your face traced between my thighs like cashmere.

My eyeliner is perfect, I take a photo. I want you to see.

I’m grateful you know me. The postcard I send to you is empty

but as always, says too much. I want to say too much.

Wendy Allen is an unpublished poet. She has been writing poetry since April 2020 and has spent the last 20 years as cabin crew.

The second poem we’d like to share is Samantha Ley’s entry which feels very much like a celebration of the exuberance and joy of girlhood and the immersivity of imaginative play…

The girls dance and shriek, trailing rainbow-colored kites
through the yard.

They are five. They find everything to do, and still need more:

A pretend tea party, a water table,

Chalk, soccer, toy rockets landing on the roof.

They need us to retrieve the trapped

Toy rockets. Ravenous, as always, they need

Food. Otherwise, they

Don’t need us. They are five. They exist

In this moment, to laugh with one another.

Samantha Ley lives near Albany, New York, where she works as a freelance writer and editor. Her fiction has appeared in a number of online publications. She can be reached at samjley AT gmail.com and @SaminBingo on Twitter.

And finally, we’re sharing ‘Irregular Jackdaw’ by Brunel alumna Anneka Hess. Gardens and public green spaces have been of increasing importance to many of us this past year, and a number of the entries took the form of odes to nature, the seasons, our fur-babies and feathered friends. What we love about this poem in particular is the way it beautifully centres the relationship between the human and non-human. We were also struck by how the work conveys a cautious optimism and sense of affirming resilience…

‘Irregular Jackdaw’

And as the blossom arrives again

So do you

Furious chatter against the cottage chimney

Feathers-inked and scissor-beaked

Ravenous for seed

And we meet in the awakening garden

Both more crumpled than last year

Both more relieved to be here

For one more spring

Anneka Hess spends too much of her time in a pile of books and cats, and too little writing. https://twitter.com/Inkybloomers

We would like to thank everyone who sent us submissions and shared what they are grateful for. Keep an eye out on our social media (@BrunelWriter) where we will post the commended entries so you can share them and spread the sentiment of appreciation, gratidute and thankfulness.

Appreciation Day Communal Poem

On By brunelwriterIn Brunel Writer, Creative writingLeave a comment

When Brunel Volunteers mentioned they were hosting an Appreciation Day on 11th May, the poetic form called the cento came to mind. This form was created as a way of celebrating the work of another poet that you appreciate by taking one-hundred individual lines from a variety of their poems and collaging them into a new poem – a bit like making a quilt.

We thought it would be great to invite people to write and send in short poems of appreciation, thankfulness and gratitude, from which we could compile a little communal celebratory cento – a  mutual ode of appreciation.

We received poems from Brunel students, staff, alumni, locals and from further afield including the USA and India. Looking through the poems, we were struck by the common themes that emerged, although perhaps these are not surprising given the year we’ve had. There were odes to nature, lots about bodies and touch, about longing and loneliness, about all the little things that have made all this bearable – a friendly text, a kind gesture, as well as portraits of family and friends, children playing, robins singing.

We then chose poignant, resonant, and striking lines or phrases from each of the entries and stitched them together into loosely themed stanzas to make the communal appreciation poem, which you can read below – enjoy!

Survival: A Cento

1.

For months we have gestated here,

our home a roomy womb, a cushioned nest.

An old cardigan pulled tight becomes a life vest.

Wrapped in warmth, a morning text,

a supportive word, chases pessimism away.

2.

Relax into a still, quiet focus – magic

or maybe scientific hypnosis:

the drip drip drip and hazelnutty hit

of freshly brewed coffee, the soft frivolity

of a brightly-coloured velvet scrunchie.

3.

The girls dance and shriek, trailing rainbow-coloured kites

through the yard. They are five. They exist

in this moment to laugh with one another.

At story time, five kisses. Brace yourself,

tiny creatures and grow a little more.

4.

I love you like our Hammersmith sky.

I much appreciate your sassy style,

eyes lit with remnants of cucumber peel.

I’m grateful you know me.

The postcard I send to you is empty.

5.

And we meet in the awakening garden,

both more crumpled than last year,

both more relieved to be here.

The whispers of the trees,

clear skies that never end…

6.

A red-breasted robin rests chest aflame.

Desolation snapped, vitality restored.

Notice this hug with shaky arms

around your oxbow curves –

you’re here, with me, for now.

Finally a big thank-you to everyone who sent in their poems to be a part of this project – we’ll be featuring commended entries on this blog and on social media via @BrunelWriter and @poetrycoterie soon, so keep your eyes peeled and do like and repost so we can share some appreciation, gratitude and thankfulness.

Contributors:

Anneka Hess | Emily Horton | Emma Filtness | Emma Mitchell | Fathima M | Hafsa | Kathryn Gynn | Keith Sterrow | Linda Hodgkinson | Marie-Teresa Hanna | Peter Eldrid | Ruth Sharma | Samantha Ley | Tania Bavarz | Wendy Allen | Wendy Rashed

Call for Poems on Appreciation

On By brunelwriterIn Brunel Writer, Creative writingLeave a comment

for Community Appreciation Day

DEADLINE: 16 APRIL 2021

Calling all Brunel students, staff and members of the local community – we want you to get creative & send us a short poem (maximum 10 lines) fitting the theme of appreciation, gratitude & thankfulness.

Brunel Writer, in collaboration with Brunel Volunteers, is celebrating Community Appreciation Day on 11th May 2021 by making a collaborative poem. 

Send your entries to brunelwriter@gmail.com by Friday 16th April with ‘Appreciation Day Submission’ in the subject line. Ideally poems will be attached to the email in either .doc format or as a PDF.

Shortlisted poems will feature on the Brunel Writer blog & social media, & may be shared as part of wider Appreciation Day communications. Please include a short third person bio & your social media handles so we can tag you, if you have them (anonymous entries are fine, too, just let us know).

Excerpts from a number of entries will be woven into a longer, collaborative community poem – think of it like a patchwork quilt made up of different colours & textures & lovingly pieced & stitched, patched & mended by many hands.

We’re also hoping to create some audio & video content of the final collaborative poem, so drop us an email if you’re keen to read/perform. We might also make a zine (a mini-book of the poem).

Here’s some inspiration to get you going:

Appreciation The act of recognising or understanding that something is valuable or important. Who are what is important to you? Why? Tell them.

Gratitude The feeling or quality of being grateful. You could try describe it.

Thankfulness The feeling of being happy or grateful because of something.

You could write a list poem of things you appreciate, value or are grateful for, or of things that you are thankful for, from the tiny and seemingly frivolous to the significant and poignant…

You could write an ode to a person, organisation or place that you appreciate…

You could capture a moment of kindness in a haiku…

Screen Love

On By brunelwriterIn Creative writingLeave a comment

by Benjamin Parameswaran 

Picture 1

Lines across space will find,
New means to spend some time,
If only for some peace of mind,
It uncorks a realm not quite sublime.

Heads of this hydra may bite one another,
Trying to express to others,
That they themselves are lovers.

Growing fonder, watch out for it
A pedestal, on which they now stand,
A looking-glass for the wistful hearted,
Always shatter-proof upon reflection.

These trees grown together need firm earth,
For wires without roots prevent disclosure,
There is no rain or sun inside this house,
Life travelling on with an electric hum.

Hold on, effort is without limits,
This garden is vast and you were born in it.

Screenshot 2020-06-07 at 16.36.17

When I was a small boy, my mother used to set me writing tasks. Sometimes I wrote about my day, other times I came up with fantasies taken from whatever I could find. She wanted me to read, read, read. But being half-stubborn mule, more concerned with games, I failed at this task. Now at the age of 25, I read at the pace of a snail and have found a love in writing that I once denied myself.

Guest Blogger – EMMA FILTNESS!: ‘Keeping it Local’ – Event

On By brunelwriterIn Uncategorized1 Comment

Hello fellow writers,

I am a Creative Writing PhD student, a part-time lecturer in English and Creative Writing, and Brunel’s Publications Officer. I came here originally to do the Creative Writing MA and loved every minute of it, so I stuck around for more.

It is shaping up to be a busy but fun start to the 2014 academic year, and I am here to tell you about some great community Creative Writing and Arts events that are happening at Brunel and in the surrounding area over the next month or so, with the hope that some of you might come along and maybe even take part! I have been working quite a bit lately with the wonderful Charlotte who is Arts Programming Officer for the local borough (Hillingdon), and she is keen to get Brunelians involved…but let’s start with me, me ME!

1. As well as teaching some of you for modules such as Introduction to Writing Fiction and Drama, I run a weekly Creative Writing class at Brunel’s Arts Centre. Classes consist of themed writing exercises, prompts and related activities suitable for all levels of experience. Classes are open to all Brunel students, staff and members of the local community. If you are an arts student at Brunel, you can come to the class for free (yes, FREE!). You may want to sign up soon, though, as places are limited (classes begin Tuesday 30 October, 6pm). These classes are ideal if you want somewhere to try out ideas and have the space to write without the pressure of looming deadlines and grades. I make a little anthology of work produced on the course each academic year, so these classes also give you the opportunity to see your work in print (I will even furnish you with a spare copy so you can give one to your mum). View the Arts Centre web pages to find out more, or email me (contact details below).

ArtsCentreAnthology

2. Charlotte is running Bigfest, a one-day festival in Uxbridge town centre on Sunday 28 September, 2014. There will be music, theatre, street performers, a food market and, most importantly, a live literature tent! Brunel writers and locals will be reading poetry or prose between 12 and 4pm. I will be reading a short story from my thesis (stories based on the life stories of little old ladies), Joe Norman who is an English PhD student, lecturer and Brunel’s Communications Officer will be reading a short story (once he manages to find one of his that is suitable to be heard by delicate, innocent ears and does not make people want to be sick) and Brunel Creative Writing MA alumna and local journalist Barbara Fischer will read to you from the memoir she is currently working on in which she recalls her time as a “hack”. Come along and listen (again, it is FREE!) or, if you are feeling brave, why not sign up to read a story or poem? If you would like to give this a go then email me soon so we can reserve you a slot (contact details below)

Bigfest2014

3. Charlotte has also set up an open mic evening at the newly-refurbished Uxbridge Library. The open mic sessions will run every other month or so, with the first one taking place on Friday 3 October at 7.30pm. You don’t need to book, just turn up, pay the teeny tiny £3.50 entry fee (it is free if you sign up to read/sing/strum), and listen to poetry, prose and other acoustic offerings from local writers and musicians. Again, if you are feeling brave and fancy reading, strumming or singing, then let me know and I will make sure there is a slot with your name on it. There will be some empty slots left for those of you that prefer just to rock up on the day and see how you feel…

Open Mic Poster

I should probably stop there before I wear out your eyeballs…if you want to know more about any of the above then please send me an email at E.Filtness@brunel.ac.uk

Please also keep an eye on the Brunel Library blog for information on the Brunel Author Series…thanks for “listening” and I hope to see some of you at one, some or all of these awesome local events!

Happy scribbling,

Emma

Poet in the City – Upcoming Events

On By brunelwriterIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

bwlerhat_image

Poet in the City presents a series showcasing some of the most exciting new voices in poetry. Acclaimed International poets, rising stars, and some of the UK’s best new performance poets, will come together in a unique celebration of the power of words.

Come and experience poetry as you’ve never seen it before – inside London’s biggest bowler hat!

Living London – Monday 7th July 6.30pm – Living London is a celebration of some of London’s most exciting poets, writers and performance artists, in collaboration with Tilt. http://www.ontilt.org/

* Drawing on the unique Bowler Hat venue, the artists will explore London from all angles, from the surreal to the sublime! Living London will feature a live art performance by Stacy Makishi, flash fiction and wordplay by Femi Martin and poetry by Antosh Wojcik.

living_london

London Calling – Monday 14 July 6.30pm – Celebrating the publication of My Voice: A Decade of Poems from The Poetry Translation Centre, this event showcases the outstanding contemporary poetry written in three languages widely spoken in London: Arabic, Persian and Somali.
* Al-Saddiq Al-Raddi is widely regarded as one of the leading African poets writing in Arabic. His Collected Poems was published in 2010. A distinguished journalist, he was forced into exile in 2012 and now lives in London.
* Caasha Lul Mohamud Yusuf is one of the most exciting young poets of the Somali diaspora. She came to the UK in 1990 having fled the Somali Civil War and now lives in London.
* Reza Mohammadi was born in Kandahar in 1979. His three collections of poetry have gained him many awards, such as from the Afghan Ministry of Culture in 2004 and prizes for being Iran’s best young poet in 1996 and 1997.
* English translations will be read by Sarah Maguire (founder and director of the Poetry Translation Centre) and the poet Clare Pollard.

london_calling

How to Book:

Tickets for each event cost £8 and can be purchased via:

Living London

London Calling

For further information please contact Poet in the City on 0207 014 2812 or info@poetinthecity.co.uk

The Bowler Hat, Paternoster Square, London EC4M.
Nearest tube station is St Pauls.

BH_map

** Listen to Poet in the City’s informal Podcast with Antosh Wojcik – one of the youngest performers who will be at the Living London spoken word event – here: https://audioboo.fm/boos/2267780-living-london-interview-with-antosh-wojcik

** Follow Poet in the City’s Blog, Twitter account: @PoetintheCityUK, or Facebook page for more information about upcoming events.

** Follow @brunelwriter on Twitter for information about events, competitions and job opportunities in the world of writing!