The Southbank Centre Celebrates Spoken Word at This Year’s London Literature Festival

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The Southbank Centre has announced details for the London Literature Festival 2023. Showcasing the explosive popularity of spoken word poetry alongside new partnerships with literary lovers from across the UK. Running from 18 – 29 October 2023, London Literature Festival is the longest-running celebration of the written and spoken word of its kind in the capital, and this year marks its 16th edition. Every year, the festival brings together readers of every age to celebrate the power of the written and spoken word, featuring prestigious literary names alongside rising stars. This year’s lineup includes George the Poet, Yu Miri, Teju Cole, Sir Patrick Stewart, Jada Pinkett Smith, Kerry Washington, and Jacqueline Wilson.

For the first time, the opening night is guest-curated by George the Poet, a London-born spoken word performer of Ugandan heritage critically acclaimed for his multi-award-winning podcast, Have You Heard George’s Podcast? Drawing on his innovative brand of musical poetry and unique artistic sensibilities, audiences can enjoy lively events by the artists making waves in the spoken word scene, working at the intersections of poetry, music, hip-hop, performance and powerful cultural commentary.

The Black British Book Festival takes place outside Birmingham for the first time, partnering with the Southbank Centre. Kicking off with an anticipated memoir launch by Leigh-Anne Pinnock, the Black British Book Festival then brings its vibrant annual day-long festival to London Literature Festival, celebrating Black British authors across all genres.

Across its twelve-day programme, London Literature Festival showcases the diversity of British culture around the UK. The festival also honours the local literary communities of London, both championing London’s emerging talent and reflecting on the experience of living in the city. The Southbank Centre attracts major international names who bring exciting cultural events, delivered alongside free events and activities.

Ted Hodgkinson, Head of Literature & Spoken Word at the Southbank Centre, says: “London Literature Festival this year celebrates the explosive talent, energy and creativity of the city’s spoken word community. We’re excited to have George the Poet open the first weekend with a night dedicated to the artists he believes are driving the future of the artform. Throughout the festival, we celebrate the emerging talents and pioneers of spoken word and its unmediated power to connect and captivate us, with events from the Poet Laureate for Lambeth, our own New Poets Collective and the Southbank Centre’s resident poetry and live music night, Out-Spoken.

There are a range of collaborations across the twelve-day festival and I’m thrilled to welcome a fantastic programme curated by the Black British Book Festival, to further the Southbank Centre’s commitment to support and champion Black British talent. London Literature Festival is a celebratory event for everyone to see shining new talent, hear from their favourite authors and enjoy our spaces with the free events on offer across the site.”

George the Poet, guest-curator of London Literature Festival’s opening night, says: “I’m honoured to be a guest-curator for London Literature Festival this year, kicking off the festival with a night that brings together some of my favourite music and spoken word artists from London and beyond. The environment of London has been my teacher and inspiration, so I’m looking forward to celebrating the culture, sounds and poetry of the city in what promises to be a night to remember.”

As an exclusive London event, trailblazing actor, director, producer and activist Kerry Washington discusses her revealing new memoir, Thicker Than Water. The venerated stage and screen actor Sir Patrick Stewart presents his long-awaited memoir, Making It So and esteemed actor Jada Pinkett Smith intimately recounts her story in her unconventional new memoir, Worthy. Korean author and winner of Japan’s most prestigious literary prize, the Akutagawa writing in Japanese, Yu Miri brings her latest novel to be translated into English, The End of August. Photographer, critic and celebrated novelist Teju Cole introduces his latest novel Tremor, while the bestselling, Dylan Thomas Prize-winning author Brian Washington presents his new novel Family Meal. Renowned artist and author Oliver Jeffers introduces his new picture book for adults, Begin Again: The Story of How We Got Here and Where We Might Go, and actor and writer Nick Frost discusses A Slice of Fried Gold, his new memoir of friends, food and films, with his long-time collaborator Simon Pegg.

The Black British Book Festival programme kicks off with the first public reading by Little Mix member Leigh-Anne Pinnock of her deeply personal memoir, Believe. The next day sees powerful voices and diverse stories across the Southbank Centre’s site with a day of unmissable events. The recently announced programme includes talks exploring the achievements of Black leaders in the media industry with Dawn Butler, Clive Myrie and Gary Younge at Unmasking Brilliance: Black British Voices in Media, while the voices behind the non-fiction series A Quick Ting On discuss rewriting the narrative of Black British culture. Interactive events range from workshops, like A #BlackBookTok Masterclass by social media star and author Fats Timbo, to an interactive celebration by Strictly Come Dancing champion and CBeebies Boogie Beebies host Oti Mabuse to mark her new book.