Organised by Spread the Word – London’s literature development agency supporting underrepresented writers, and hosted at The Albany in the centre of Deptford, the Lewisham Lyricists event opened an energetic weekend of poetry, performance and panels at the Deptford Literature Festival.
The line-up was curated by local writer Emma Warren and each offered a unique perspective on language and expression, through song, poetry and rap. The themes of community and locality were channelled through each performance in a way that highlighted Lewisham and Deptford in a raw and honest capacity. It felt empowering to be transported through different concepts and imagery of connectedness and linking motifs of identity, race, class, money, power and politics to everyday life and experiences that feel ordinary and relatable.
The evening kicked off with a short film by SignKid, demonstrating the versatility of British Sign Language and its development of everyday slang. This was humorous and informative in how so many familiar modern phrases have become incorporated by the deaf community and can be used to communicate more freely. The event continued with the stunning voice of Arinola, performing a Katie B cover, as well as her own original music. Her songs spoke to me through their powerful messages of breaking out and gaining strength through struggles that set you back.
Emma Warren was graceful in her readings from her novel Dance Your Way Home: A Journey Through the Dancefloor as well as her poems connecting Northern Ireland to South East London. One of the highlights for me was Cecil B, despite being uncertain whether his style of poetry would resonate or not with me at first. There was a realness and honesty to his storytelling that connected to me in an unexpected way and I felt moved by how he articulated the depth of culture available in Deptford and the threat of the government taking autonomy from everyday, working-class people. There was a sense of unpredictability and anxiety through his words, especially the fears of people and places being seen for exactly as they are, questioning the levels of understanding and acceptance.
In Belinda Zwahi’s set I valued the honing in on language in a soft, mesmerising way. In ‘Dregs of South East London’, the way Zwahi used the imagery of the bus being ‘ablaze’ in defiance, saying ‘f*** you too’ perhaps to a feeling being marginalised and not fully visible. There is an unmistakable quiet power within her words and a communion of religion, music and freedom that rebels: ‘We roll zoots in torn strips of the Bible’, yet there is a constant presence of invisibility ‘London is a city of ghosts, so we hide in its shadows’.
Closing the show was the energetic rapping from MC Blakie with his performance of ‘Yeah Man’, which encapsulated expression, positivity and freedom, ‘ain’t a place in my city, where me can’t go’. The fusion of Jamaican patois with British, London influences allowed for a lively and fun use of language in self-articulation. The last rap titled ‘Champion’, as with ‘Yeah Man’, encouraged audience participation, which strengthened the feeling of community and togetherness and this felt a poignant note to end the evening on.
Lewisham Lyricists was unique to other poetry events I have attended in that it also valued the importance of ambience through audible and visual aids. I loved the impact of the radiant soundscapes by Anja Ngozi to accompany the readings as the rhythm of the words blended with the music. Along with the hypnotising quality of the visual films, created by Imran Sesay, these elements orchestrated an immersive atmosphere, providing an evening of brilliant and thought-provoking poetry and performance.
Anna Crosland
To watch and enjoy Lewisham Lyricists, please visit: https://www.spreadtheword.org.uk/DLFLIVESTREAMS/#LL
To get involved with future Spread The Word Events, please visit: https://www.spreadtheword.org.uk/
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