30 July 2013
-
Training
Introducing the six candidates for London's first Young Poet Laureate
Jolade, Bridget, Warsan, Momina, Aisling and James will be taking part on an intensive programme that will result in the first Young Poet Laureate for London.
(pictured above from left to right Jolade, Bridget, Warsan, Momina, Aisling and James)
We are pleased to introduce the six shortlisted young poets who will be working with Spread the Word as part of the Spoke programme, over the coming Summer / Autumn.
On 03 October 2013, one will be selected to become the Young Poet Laureate for London.
The young poets are (left to right):
Jolade Olusanya
A performance poet brought up in Nigeria and East London.
Bridget Minamore
A London-based poet who has been performing poetry since 2009.
Warsan Shire
A Kenyan-born Somali poet, writer, editor and educator who is based in London.
Momina Mela
A Pakistani poet from Lahore, currently based in London, studying BA English from Goldsmiths.
Aisling Fahey
A poet who has performed in various locations across England and America, including the Barbican, Battersea Arts Centre and Chicago.
James Massiah
A London based poet and musician whose work revolves around ideas about gender, sexuality and religion.
To find out more the young poets and the programme please visit Spread the Word. You can also follow the latest updates on twitter @SpokeLondon and #YPL6
About the Spoke programme
Spoke is a new visionary poetry and spoken word programme that will offer people in East London an opportunity to watch, perform and develop careers in spoken word.
The programme will also allow people to performance poetry in and around the newly evolved Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the former site of the Olympic Park.
Commissioned by the London Legacy Development Corporation, the programme is being developed by A New Direction together with Apples and Snakes, and Spread the Word.
Find out more about the programme
