Anthony Joseph

In collaboration with legendary Nottingham event organiser Cultural Vibrations and hosted by Rastarella, we are delighted to present the winner of the T.S. Eliot Prize 2022, Anthony Joseph alongside a dynamic line up of spoken word artists and performers from the Caribbean & West African diaspora.

Anthony Joseph is a poet, novelist, academic and musician who moved from Trinidad to the UK in 1989. A lecturer in creative writing at Birkbeck College, he is particularly interested in the point at which poetry becomes music. As well as four poetry collections, a slew of albums, and three novels, Joseph has published critical work exploring the aesthetics of Caribbean Poetry among other subjects. He performs internationally as the lead vocalist for his band The Spasm Band. Sonnets for Albert is his first poetry collection since Rubber Orchestras (Salt, 2013). For Anthony Joseph, his father Albert was many things: a sharp dresser, an orator, a builder. But he was only an intermittent figure in the poet’s childhood. It is this absence that made Albert powerfully present in Joseph’s imagination, and his development as a poet. Joseph’s first poetry collection since 2013, Sonnets for Albert, is a book of reimagined sonnets, remixing the form in a set of elegies for his father that commemorate and interrogate their complex relationship, while examining the wider edges of Caribbean masculinity and fatherhood, and of absence, loss and longing. Using his form, the calypso sonnet, a politically invested line length, he enforces a melodic rhythm which reminds him of his father and favours a decidedly Afro-Caribbean approach. Though these poems threaten to break under the weight of their emotions, they are always as masterfully poised as the charismatic man they depict. Find out more here.

J Carlyle is an artist that uses different mediums of verbal expression, from song writing to spoken word, to share his perspective on the world. His poetry is based around self reflection, love and relationships. He believes writing can be a healing remedy for the soul. Find out more, here

Carol Leeming Leicester born of Jamaican parentage, is an exciting, innovative, multi-award-winning poet, awarded an MBE for poetry in 2019. Carol’s poetry is published widely, she performs at many national literary festivals, and has had her  poetry broadcasted on BBC Radio. Carol has had poetry commissioned for BBC Prom 60, Royal Albert Hall London 2022. Carol’s poetry has diverse themes, which vary from person to place, politics and spirituality. Find out more here

Photo credit  – Andy M Lee

Beatrice Ngozi Udeh (Bea – as in bee – for short) is a Midlands based multi hyphenate poet and creative. So that’s black-Naija-British, part-time, mum-taxi, okra loving, menopausal mindfulness activist with dimples that belie her centuries old treasures never told. She dabbles in grieving out loud in a hashtag. Find out more here

Photo credit – Tsitsi

Gambino Akuboy started performing poetry in primary school in Banjul, Gambia and has over 30 years experience experimenting with poetry, language  and spoken word. After leaving the British Army Gambino has since successfully completed an MA in creative writing (Loughborough University). He is currently working on his first spoken word album. As a skilled and original musician and actor, Gambino’s poetry style is performative and often touches on societal issues such as love, unity, struggle, identity and personal development. Find out more here

Arun Paul Kapur.  Enigmatic, lover of life and all truth that binds us together. Wolves born and bred , Arun Kapur is a multidisciplinary creative who expresses through multiple art mediums, one which includes poetry. Having written from a young age Arun began performing over the last 5 years, his range varies on the themes of identity, empathy and life. He believes through art, life is born and brings us together.  Find out more here

Photo credit – Jas Kapur

Music comes from DJ Suga Lion