May Day, the much-anticipated new poetry collection from Jackie Kay, one of the UK’s best loved poets, casts an eye over decades of political activism: the international solidarity of the Glasgow of Jackie’s childhood; her parents’ Socialist campaigns; the feminist, LGBT+ and anti-racist movements of the 80s and 90s, and the global pandemic and urgency of Black Lives Matter. Join Jackie Kay for an unmissable evening as she delves below the surface of received narratives and brings to life a cast of influential figures: Fanny Eaton, Paul Robeson, Angela Davis and Audre Lorde. Woven throughout are a suite of lyric poems concerning the recent losses of Kay’s parents: poems of grief and profound change that are infused with the light of love and celebration.
‘Kay’s strength as a poet has always been her clear, plain style, and its fearless spoken poignancy’. – Daily Telegraph
Jackie Kay, born in Edinburgh, is an award-winning poet, novelist and short story writer, acclaimed for her work for adults and children. She won the Guardian Fiction Prize for her novel Trumpet, the Somerset Maugham Award in 1994 and the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Book of the Year Award in 2011. From 2016 to 2021, Jackie Kay was the Makar, the poet laureate of Scotland, and was Chancellor of the University of Salford between 2015 and 2022.
Jackie has published three collections of stories with Picador: Why Don’t You Stop Talking, Wish I Was Here, and Reality, Reality; two poetry collections, Fiere and Bantam; and her memoir, Red Dust Road. She lives in Manchester and is Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Salford.
Friday 24th May, 7.30pm
Philharmonic Music Room, Sugnall St, Liverpool L1 9BP
£11
Tickets for this event include a £1 venue restoration levy, included in the ticket price. This fee supports building investment at the Grade II-listed Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.
*These are difficult times. We know some people may struggle to afford full price tickets. If you would like to attend this event but can’t afford to, please contact info@writingonthewall.org.uk. All queries will be treated in confidence.
If you would like to purchase a gifted ticket for someone who can’t afford it, please buy directly from the event page and we will offer your ticket out.
Date: May 24, 2024
Time: 7:30 pm
Life imitates art in unexpected ways, especially when it comes to dystopias. From the realms of science fiction to the harsh realities of today, we witness the convergence of fiction and fact: robots and AI, surveillance states, global wars, government oppression, natural disasters and mass poverty. The Liverpool University Special Collections and Archives: Science Fiction …
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11:00 am
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7:00 pm
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