Caleb Femi: Poet of the People

'Caleb Femi is a gift to us all from the storytelling gods,' says fellow writer Max Porter. Femi’s exuberant words and talent saw him named as the first Young People’s Laureate for London in 2016, following his 2015 win at the Roundhouse Poetry Slam. Now his debut collection, Poor, has been called ‘a landmark debut for British poetry’. Interspersed with Femi’s own Black and white photography – a celebration of his community – the book is a portrait of true life: the threats, surveillance and over-policing that is disproportionately wielded against Black communities, but also the unrelenting joy and imagination of the young Black men. Join Femi as he talks to artist and novelist Tice Cin about community, photography, and why poetry is ‘the art of the people’.

This is a live event, with an author Q&A. If buying a ticket to watch the event in-person, the author will be on stage, in the venue. After the event, Caleb Femi will be doing an in-person book signing on the Festival site.

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Monday 26 August

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