Poetry Evening with Vanessa Kisuule and Dean Atta

As part of Black History Month Programme two brilliant, powerful, conscious poets entertain, educate and challenge Cambridge for an evening
Vanessa Kisuule has won numerous poetry slam titles in the U.K. and abroad including Next Generation Slam 2012, Slambassadors 2010 and South West Hammer and Tongue Slam Champion 2012 and The Roundhouse Slam 2014, Hammer and Tongue National Slam 2014 and the Nuoryican Poetry Slam in New York. She has worked with the London Southbank Centre and had her work featured on the BBC,The Guardian, Blue Peter, Sky TV and TEDx in Vienna. Her debut poetry collection ‘Joyriding The Storm’ was published in April 2014.

Dean Atta has been described by the Huffington Post as “one of the leading lights in London’s poetry scene” and by Apples and Snakes as “unafraid to tackle topics other poets turn a blind eye to”. His debut collection, “I Am Nobody’s N*gger”, was shortlisted for the Polari First Book Prize. He was named as one of the most influential LGBT people in the UK by the Independent on Sunday Pink List and featured in Out News Global Pride Power List. He has been commissioned to write poems for high profile organisations.

With support from local poets:

Inja is an exceptional artist and host whose work spans a huge variety of genres including dubstep, drumstep, hiphop, grime, drum and bass and freestyle poetry. His talent, energy and exceptional lyricism, both live and recorded, have garnered him continuous praise. He is a true ‘lyrical wizard’ (IDj Magazine) who faultlessly crosses musical barriers – from the bass music mix of his latest mighty solo release BassMusicEscapism, to his renowned live shows which foray ‘into dancehall, electronica, vintage funk and contemporary folk (London Metro). He is one of the UK’s most current, energetic, crowd-pleasing and versatile bass music artists.

Caroline Teague is a London born and bred poet writing pieces on loss, identity and how she comes to terms with some harrowing realities of being human and being alive, in a style she calls ‘tragic optimism’ in hopes that the honesty through her writing could translate into something positive for someone else. Member of both “poetrip” and “typeface” poetry London based collectives, Caroline is a co runner of the Hammer &Tongue Waterloo poetry night, and creator of the musical project “Caroline Smiling” which blends music, spoken word and other forms of communication to cross platforms for mental health through creative means. A self proclaimed soft touch poet with some sharp edges.”

Uppahar Subba is a poet of Nepalese and Indian origin. His writing mostly focuses on reminiscences, religion, race, and all of the pop culture he consumed while growing up. He has been performing in Cambridge for the last two years at various events such as Strawberry Fair, Hammer and Tongue, SHINDIG, Speakeasy. He found himself in the last two Hammer and Tongue regional finals somehow, and is hoping no one asks him.

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