A Sunday afternoon with Baldwin

Name: A Sunday afternoon with Baldwin
Start: 2025-03-16T15:00:00+00:00
End: 2025-03-16T16:30:00+00:00
Location: Jubilee Library, Brighton

Schedule

Sun Mar 16 2025 at 03:00 pm to 04:30 pm

UTC+00:00

Location

Jubilee Library, Brighton | Brighton, EN

Join Writing Our Legacy at the Jubilee Library to celebrate the publication of "Encounters with James Baldwin: Celebrating 100 Years", which marks the centenary of the birth of the iconic African American author. Writers Ray Shell and Roy McFarlane will read their work, in conversation with co-editor Kadija Sesay.
"Encounters with James Baldwin", published by Aurora Metro/Supernova Books, is a wide-ranging volume of short essays, reflections, interviews, poetry and photography by over 30 contributors, exploring the significant legacy of the writer and activist who spoke truth to power during the fight for Black civil liberties in the US and beyond. Discounted copies of the book will be available, along with refreshments.

Roy McFarlane is a poet, playwright and former Youth and Community worker born in Birmingham of Jamaican parentage, living in Brighton. He is currently a Poetry Book Society collection selector and the National Canal Laureate. The former Birmingham Poet Laureate has co-edited Celebrate Wha? Ten Black British Poets from the Midlands. His three collections – Beginning With Your Last Breath, The Healing Next Time (shortlisted for the Ted Hughes Award and longlisted for the Jhalak Prize) and Living by Troubled Waters are published by Nine Arches Press. He has performed nationally and internationally sharing his passion for social justice, equality, identity, love and the healing power of poetry as a witness to our times.
Kadija Sesay is a Sierra Leonean/British scholar-activist. She is the Publications Manager for Inscribe/Peepal Tree Press, where she commissions anthologies and is publisher of SABLE LitMag. Her latest work is in New Daughters of Africa and her solo poetry collection is Irki; her forthcoming collection is The Modern Pan-Africanist’s Journey. She is founder of the first International Black Speculative Writing Festival, co-founder of Mboka Festival of Arts Culture and Sport and founder of the AfriPoeTree app. She is on the board of the African Studies Association (UK) and chair of Yaram Arts. She has judged several writing competitions and is the resident judge for the SI Leeds Literary Prize. She has received awards and fellowships for her work in the creative arts.
Ray Shell has been a permanent fixture in the West End since 1978 when he starred in Oscar Johnson and Lon Satton’s Little Willie Jr’s Ressurection. He has starred in productions such as Starlight Express, Miss Saigon, The Lion King and The Body Guard. He is also the author of Iced, Carolina Red, Spike Lee: The Eternal Maverick and the BBC Radio 3 drama Jubilee with Garth Bardsley. Ray has his
own imprint: Street Angels Books at www.streetangelsbooks.co.uk.