Good Vibes Only; A Spoken Word and Poetry Celebration

Listen close as poets and talented spoken word artists give soul-stirring performances for the grand finale event of the Black British Book Festival.

This event includes poems and performances by Yomi Sode, Inua Ellams, Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa, Jayda David, BrokenPen and Binta.

This is a celebration of the magic of spoken word and poetry put together by Good Vibes Only.

Be inspired as diverse voices intertwine, painting vivid pictures with words, and evoking emotions that touch the heart.

About the writers

Yomi Sode Yomi Sode is one of the most exciting and talented writers of his generation. A recipient of the 2019 Jerwood Compton Poetry Fellowship, he was also shortlisted for The Brunel International African Poetry Prize 2021. His acclaimed one-man show COAT toured nationally to sold-out audiences, including at the Brighton Festival, Roundhouse Camden and the Battersea Arts Centre. In 2020 his libretto Remnants, written in collaboration with award-winning composer James B Wilson and performed with Chineke! Orchestra premiered on BBC Radio 3. In 2021, his play, and breathe. . . premiered at the Almeida Theatre to rave reviews. Yomi is a Complete Works alumnus and a member of Malika’s Poetry Kitchen. He is the founder of BoxedIn, First Five, The Daddy Diaries, and mentorship programme 12 in 12.

Inua Ellams Born in Nigeria, Inua Ellams is a poet, playwright, performer, graphic artist, designer and founder of: The Midnight Run (an arts-filled, night-time, urban walking experience), The Rhythm and Poetry Party (The R.A.P Party) which celebrates poetry & hip hop, and Poetry + Film / Hack (P+F/H) which celebrates poetry and film. Identity, displacement and destiny are recurring themes in his work, where he tries to mix the old with the new: traditional African oral storytelling with contemporary poetics, paint with pixel, texture with vector. His books are published by Flipped Eye, Akashic, Nine Arches, Penned In The Margins, Oberon & Methuen.

Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa is a British-born, Barbadian-raised poet, dancer, choreographer and researcher whose exhilarating style of poetics is a force to be reckoned with. Her interdisciplinary art, braids dance and poetry on the page and stage. She is a PhD student in Cultural Studies at the University of Leeds. Kinshas’s debut collection Cane, Corn & Gully was published by Out-Spoken Press in November 2022. The collection explores her Barbadian heritage through the dances of women.

Jayda David Jayda David uses poetry to navigate and dissect her perceptions on social injustice and the collective human experience as whole, aiming to always deliver her uncut truth on any stage. Hailing from Shepherds Bush, she has a strong love for the sphere known as the ends, revisiting these experiences in her work and discourse. Seeing poetry as a great learning tool and a vital, accessible form of expression - Jayda has delivered workshops around Mental Health, Black British History, nature, identity and more. Community is a driving force in all aspects of her life and so it is a priority to incorporate this as a foundation in all her work to fight against the overwhelming effects of our society’s individualistic approach.

BrokenPen BrokenPen is a multi-talented artist hailing from Angola and living in south-east London. Pen, as he is referred to by his peers, has been performing consistently since 2017 but writing since the age of 18, he now considers himself a wordsmith and all round lyricist. Inspired by artists ranging from Ghetts to Eminem and an eclectic mix of music from Grime to rap and entertainment mediums such as drama and comedy BrokenPen aims to share the art form he has crafted. There is not much left to be said about Pen but when asked why his name is BrokenPen he says: ‘my pen breaks every time that i start writing from the weight of my life, it’s exciting emerging from the darkness just to realise that you've always been enlightened’.

Binta Binta Yade is a versatile artist, known for her poetic skills and captivating podcast. With a passion for preserving Black cultural heritage, she also contributes her talents to the Black Cultural Archives, where she curates stories that empower and inspire. Binta is a vibrant voice in today’s creative landscape.