Category: Lit
-
Hip Hop vs Spoken Word, as explored by Taalam Acey
Set aside 7 minutes to watch prolific US spoken word artist Taalam Acey discussing the relationship between Hip Hop, Poetry and Spoken Word from The Market 4 Change Volume 2. Filmed at The University of Washington, Tacoma (Longshoresman’s Hall) on Wednesday February 3, 2010 by Jeff Hobbs.
-
Inua Ellams: Poetry and The Broken Hearted (Video)
“I started writing poetry in 2001… because I couldn’t afford paint.” 25 year old Inua Ellams: born in Nigeria but resides in London where he spends his days and nights busily establishing himself as one of the city’s most buzzworthy visual and verbal artists. As part of his word domination, he has performed all around…
-
Originals: The Story of Gil Scott-Heron – Documentary (Watch here)
An interesting documentary I just stumbled across: Originally aired on the BBC in 2004, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: A Film About Gil Scott-Heron features contributions from disciples such as Chuck D and Mos Def as well as music from his career stretching back over 20 albums to the early ’70s. Gil Scott-Heron is…
-
[Verb]swish: Inspiring Writers, Pithy Statements & The J Word
With an art form as over-subscribed as Spoken Word, amidst all the have-a-go’s and blaggers the listener can become disenchanted and hard to impress. That’s where [Verb]swish – Richard Smartt Jnr to his mum – comes in. His distinctive delivery, erudition and seemingly effortless wordplay are a welcome reminder that exceptional performance poetry is still…
-
An Elegy For Easterly by Petina Gappah | Book Review
‘An Elegy for Easterly’ is the first book by Geneva-based, Zimbabwean writer and lawyer Petina Gappah. It is a collection of short stories about the lives, loves and derring-do of various citizens living in the country formerly known as Rhodesia. I admit I approached an ‘Elegy…’ with some trepidation. The more than questionable antics of…
-
An Elegy For Easterly by Petina Gappah | Book Review
‘An Elegy for Easterly’ is the first book by Geneva-based, Zimbabwean writer and lawyer Petina Gappah. It is a collection of short stories about the lives, loves and derring-do of various citizens living in the country formerly known as Rhodesia. I admit I approached an ‘Elegy…’ with some trepidation. The more than questionable antics of…
-
BOOK REVIEW: Measuring Time by Helon Habila
Measuring Time is the second offering from award winning novelist Helon Habila. Set in the Nigerian Village of Keti, it chronicles the relationship between Mamo and LaMamo, non-identical twins and sons of the politically ambitious and emotionally distant Lamang. The boys are not only united by their fraternal bond but also by their antipathy towards…
-
‘The Books That Made Me’ literary event @ The British Library
Yesterday, I attended ‘The Books that Made Me’ literary conference at the British Library, central London. Various novelists discussed and read excerpts from two books that have had a pivotal influence in their writing. In attendance were Helen Cross, Diana Evans, Aamer Hussein, Caryl Phillips and Marina Warner and the event was chaired by Boyd…