There’s a beautiful Hindi song which translates as ‘I am not a poet’ from the movie Bobby. Watch it here.
Last Sunday, I participated in a guerrilla poetry intervention on Columbia Road flower market. Baden Prince and Cath Drake performed impromptu at stalls and shops on a beautiful day. My favourite moments were bumping into old friends; Obi and Shala are pictured here:
I also bumped into Janaka Malwatta. I first met Janaka at a gig a couple of years ago. At the flower market, he recited the first poem he’s ever written. It was a beautiful piece about the war in Sri Lanka. I was so proud to hear him; it’s proof that all of us can write. I’ve asked him to perform the piece at the show I’m curating at Stoke Newington International Airport on September 27th.
On Thursday, The Hanrahans performed a ten minute scratch of our new show at Battersea Arts Centre. The Guardian calls BAC the most influential theatre in the country, and it’s certainly always buzzing with energy, creativity and inspiration.
Two big gigs on Friday, too;
In the afternoon, we performed as a showcase act for Ash Chandola, who’s working with the South Bank through a PRS foundation award called New Music Plus.
Here’s a picture of us taken just after the gig. Belle looks lovely in a sari!
In the evening, I featured in a great line-up at the Poetry Olympics Enlightenment, billed as a multicultural riposte to the political aftermath of 9.11.
My flatmates and I are planning a great intervention on 21st September, on day of the demise of the free news sheet the London Paper; our event will be called the London Paper Library. Basically, we’re creating a mobile library on a tube train for one day. More details soon, but for now, check here.
