In 1998, Lemn Sissay curated the seminal anthology, ‘The Fire People’, a showcase of the new generation of Black British poets in print, together, for the first time. In 2022, Kayo Chingonyi has brought together the current generation in ‘More Fiya’, another outstanding collection. ‘In these pages you’ll find chimerical re-makings of the Caribbean, the wisdom of diasporic philosophy, the cold and rain of Blighty, the sky viewed from the African continent, and the rhythms of language shifting before your eyes and in your ears.’
Joining Manchester Literature Festival for this exciting night of live performance will be Jackie Kay, former Makar of Scotland and author of numerous works including ‘Other Lovers’, ‘Life Mask’, ‘Fiere’ and ‘Red Dust Road’; Malika Booker, founder of Malika’s Poetry Kitchen and author of ‘Pepper Seed’, shortlisted for the OCM Bocas Poetry Prize; Jason Allen-Paisant, author of ‘Thinking with Trees’, winner of this year’s OCM Bocas Poetry Prize; Rommi Smith, three-time BBC writer-in-residence and winner of a Northern Writers’ Prize, and Keisha Thompson, creator of award-winning solo show ‘Man on the Moon’, and mini-albums ‘Ephemera’ and ‘Moonwhile’. Hosted by Kayo Chingonyi, author of ‘A Blood Condition’ and ’Kumukanda’, which won the Dylan Thomas Prize and a Somerset Maugham Award. Presented in partnership with Canongate and Manchester Poetry Library.
