Southbank Centre’s Book Podcast: Roxane Gay and women on the page
In December 2018, US writer Roxane Gay made her first ever appearance in the UK, here at the Southbank Centre
The multi-talented Gay is the author of the New York Times bestselling Bad Feminist, as well as the novel An Untamed State, memoir Hunger, the short story collection Ayiti and the Marvel comic series Black Panther: World of Wakanda.
Ahead of appearing on stage in conversation with editor-in-chief of gal-dem, Liv Little, Gay met with the Octavia Poetry Collective, the poetry collective for women of colour. In this podcast, as well as hearing exclusive excerpts from Gay’s appearance here at our Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre Literature Programmer Bea Colley speaks to Amaal Said and Destiny Adeyemi of the Octavia Poetry Collective about their experiences of meeting Roxane Gay, the label of ‘women’s writing’ and the idea of empathy.
‘When you rise to the top as a black woman, as a person of colour, you have to be excellent all of the time, it’s relentless, the pressure is unending, because people are so unwilling to give us a chance’
Roxane Gay
Listen to more from this series
Southbank Centre’s Book Podcast: Anna Burns - Milkman
Anna Burns speaks to our Head of Literature and Spoken Word, Ted Hodgkinson, about her 2018 Booker Prize-winning novel, Milkman.
Southbank Centre's Book Podcast: Backstage at Man Booker 50
Ted Hodgkinson talks with Golden Man Booker judges Robert McCrum and Kamila Shamsie, and we hear from past winners Alan Hollinghurst and Marlon James.
Southbank Centre’s Book Podcast: Matt Haig and Jordan Stephens on mental health and creativity
Author Matt Haig and musician Jordan Stephens discuss mental health and creativity in this podcast hosted by Ted Hodgkinson.
Southbank Centre's Book Podcast: literature and the refugee crisis
Ted Hodgkinson talks with poet Nick Makola about fleeing Uganda, and Khaled Hosseini explains how the refugee crisis inspired his novel Sea Prayer.
Artist on artist: Raymond Antrobus on the irreplaceable Benjamin Zephaniah
The multi-award-winning poet shares his personal lifelong connection with the hugely popular figure once dubbed ‘the people’s laureate’.
Roger McGough: ‘poetry was never something I set out to do, it just happened’
The much treasured poet discusses music, muses and the impact of The Mersey Sound in this in-depth interview.
Artist on artist: Leïla Slimani on the ‘influential’ Pedro Almodóvar
The internationally bestselling author shares her fandom for the film director she loves so much she ‘would worship even just a sock of his’.