Kwame Dawes, Ugochi Nwaogwugwu, Jive Poetic & Young Identity

Join us for an evening of poetry and music featuring an all-star line-up of international artists. Ghanaian-born Kwame Dawes has published 24 collections of poetry including Nebraska and Wisteria as well as fiction, criticism and essays. His poetry has been described by Martin Espada as the ‘the music of survival and transcendence.’ He is also the Artistic Director of the Calabash International Literary Festival, Professor of English at the University of Nebraska and Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. Ugochi Nwaogwugwu is a Nigerian American poet, musician, playwright, activist and founder of Spirit Speaks. She has produced, written and co-arranged three highly acclaimed albums: African Buttafly, A.S.E. (Afro Soul Effect) and Love Shot. Jive Poetic has been a member of the Nuyorican Poets Café’s National Slam team and has collected grand slam championship titles from Florida to Munich. He is the founder of Insurgent Poets Society and teaches performance poetry and hip-hop to young people in his home city, New York. Members of the Manchester-based poetry collective Young Identity will present a specially commissioned ensemble piece celebrating the life and legacy of the American writer and civil rights activist Audre Lorde. Hosted by Nicole May and Reece Williams.

Produced in partnership with Young Identity and Apples and Snakes. This event has been funded in part by grants from The Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust and the United States Department of State. The opinions, findings and conclusions stated herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of State.