“ — you know, I’ve either had a family, a job, something has always been in the way” Charles Bukowski wrote these words at the opening to his poem, Air and Light and Space and Time more than twenty years ago. And it’s a fun poem - dry, caustic, chatty; typical Bukowski really, taking irreverent aim at… Continue reading The Devil is in the Distractions
Well... where to begin. There are all kinds of words I could use to try to describe the experience that was the Durban Book Launch of Lost Gods, and absolutely all of them will sound hyperbolic to anyone who wasn't there - transcendent, incredible, life-affirming - that kinda thing. But it's all true. It was… Continue reading The Durban Book Launch
Sooo... my very first time doing an author interview. I'll admit I was a tad nervous but Anton Marks was the perfect host. We sat down on a typically wet and chilly Manchester evening to discuss life, family, culture, writing, and my soon to be released debut novel, Lost Gods. And, I have to say,… Continue reading Creating Legends
Current headspace: I wake up at 5:30am this morning, write this on my phone in about 5 mins, then go back to sleep. Go figure. Think I'll call it Chaos Theory. Seems apt somehow... There's a season for the sun And a season for the rain There's a season to have fun And a season… Continue reading Chaos Theory
I ain’t gonna front. I had a wicked time just recently, shooting an aftermovie for Polar Music; a Manchester-based music production and events label who specialise in putting together house music/EDM nights around the north west of England. I was asked to do some filming at the launch party for one of their events at… Continue reading Why Planning is Overrated
I first came across the incredible stillness and power of Yaa Gyasi's writing early last year when reading a short story penned by the Ghanaian-born author in Guernica Magazine. Inscape, narrated from a daughter's perspective, told the tale of a woman and her Ghanaian mother, weaving between themes of religion, culture and mental illness with… Continue reading What An Evening With Yaa Gyasi Taught Me About Inspiration
So you may recall that I'd mentioned interviewing Samm Henshaw a while back for The Nubian Times, which, on a personal level, was a very fun experience. I mean, the guy's arguably the most talented soul artist to emerge from these shores in the last two decades. Not only that, he was a seriously fascinating… Continue reading A Belated Interview With UK Soul Artist, Samm Henshaw
The funny thing is I'm used to asking the questions, not answering them. I mean, I've conducted a fair few interviews at this point, delving into the motivations and inspirations of artists, creatives, community leaders etc. - people who are passionate about what they do. But I've never been on the other side of the… Continue reading On Writing: An Interview with… Myself?
I'm told public speaking is consistently ranked as many people's greatest fear... yeah, that's right - above heights, spiders, snakes, clowns (I still don't get why anyone likes clowns) etc. In fact, in many surveys public speaking is even ranked above the fear of death. Which, in my opinion, is all the more reason for… Continue reading The Future is Bright, The Future is… Social Media?
Originally a rapper, and then a poet, for the last year Tom Bishop has been occupying that loose sliding space that lingers between the two, the stripped down art known as spoken word. After connecting with him during one of his live performances last month at Sandbar's grime and hip hop night, Mic Check, I… Continue reading There’s Nothing New About The News
