Writing on the Wall is proud to announce that legendary poet and activist Linton Kwesi Johnson will join WoWFEST26 for a special in-conversation event, Desert Island Dissent, on Thursday 28 May at the British Music Experience.
One of the most influential political voices of the last half-century, Johnson will reflect on the music, poetry and political works that have shaped his life and activism. Drawing on his experiences of 1970s Britain, the rise of the National Front and the wave of cultural resistance that followed, the evening will explore the enduring power of creative expression to confront injustice and challenge dominant narratives.
From his early involvement with the British Black Panthers and his role as poetry editor of Race Today, to the publication of Voices of the Living and the Dead in 1974, Johnson has consistently placed poetry at the heart of political struggle. In 2002, he became only the second living poet, and the first Black poet, to be included in Penguin’s Modern Classics series with Mi Revalueshanary Fren.
Alongside his groundbreaking literary achievements, Johnson has released fourteen albums, beginning with the seminal Dread Beat An Blood (1978), working in long collaboration with producer Dennis Bovell. Through dub poetry, he forged a sound that fused lyricism with radical critique – creating a body of work that continues to resonate across generations.
At a moment when old ideologies are resurfacing and political tensions are intensifying, Desert Island Dissent offers a timely opportunity to reflect on art as resistance, and on the cultural influences that have shaped decades of struggle.
Event Details
📅 Thursday 28 May
🕖 7pm
📍 British Music Experience, Cunard Building, Pier Head, Liverpool
🎟️ Tickets: £12
This event forms part of WoWFEST26: New World Disorder, Liverpool’s longest-running radical writing and literary festival.
Photo Credit: Danny Da Costa
