Listen to Abdullah Adekola read his poem ‘Neighbourhood Library’ published in the anthology And The Stones Fell Open: A Leeds Poetry Anthology available here. It’s really important to reflect on Leeds experiences in light of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Abdullah is a writer, performer, poetry promoter, and all-around creative based in Leeds. He believes people need hope and they need stories. He believes you should tell your story or risk being ignored or misrepresented. He leads a collective called ‘Say It With Your Chest’, which delivers regular open mic nights, workshops, and facilitates the development of a ‘zine made for and by Leeds-based people of colour.
“As a Black-British working class artist, I offer personal reflections and social commentary on race class and faith. I write about the search for beauty, meaning, and connection in life and art.”
These last few lines are from Abdullah’s ‘Poems like prophecies’ which is available to buy in his poetry pamphlet adekola.bigcartel.com
‘Black is more than surface, Its spiritual
Black was never a curse, It’s a compliment
A consequence
Of God’s confidence in me’
You can follow Abdullah on Instagram instagram.com/adekolapoetry