Come along to a talk with Kwame Dawes, the current Poet Laureate of Jamaica, as we celebrate two decades since the seminal ‘Afro-Style School’ sessions – a pioneering series of workshops for poets of colour, organised by Dawes and Bernardine Evaristo. Special guest speakers join us for an evening recounting pivotal moments of inventiveness, care and collaboration.

Between the 1990s to the early 2020s, a range of poetry collectives, programmes and coteries formed in London in reaction to the lack of diversity in literature and publishing. While each had distinct aims, they all shared a connection to the National Poetry Library and the Southbank Centre as vital spaces to meet, plan and engage.

Each provided Black, Global Majority and marginalised writers and wordsmiths opportunities to deepen their craft, connect with peers and expand their vision to greater possibilities.

These groups include Mannafest, Afro-Style School, The Complete Works, Renaissance One, Malika’s Poetry Kitchen, The Spoken Word Education Programme, The Octavia Collective, The Obsidian Foundation and more. The relationships formed and things created over this time helped to springboard many of the leading poets and practitioners today.

Curated by The National Poetry Library, Melanie Abrahams and Renaissance One. With special thanks to Spread The Word (now London Writers Centre), Bernardine Evaristo and Ruth Borthwick.