Kwame Dawes: Afro-Style School & Kinships
Jamaica’s Poet Laureate celebrates the influential poetry programmes and collectives that have fought against literature and publishing’s lack of diversity.
Come along to a talk with Kwame Dawes, the current Poet Laureate of Jamaica, as we celebrate two decades since the seminal ‘Afro-Style School’ sessions – a pioneering series of workshops for poets of colour, organised by Dawes and Bernardine Evaristo. Special guest speakers join us for an evening recounting pivotal moments of inventiveness, care and collaboration.
Between the 1990s to the early 2020s, a range of poetry collectives, programmes and coteries formed in London in reaction to the lack of diversity in literature and publishing. While each had distinct aims, they all shared a connection to the National Poetry Library and the Southbank Centre as vital spaces to meet, plan and engage.
Each provided Black, Global Majority and marginalised writers and wordsmiths opportunities to deepen their craft, connect with peers and expand their vision to greater possibilities.
These groups include Mannafest, Afro-Style school, The Complete Works, Renaissance One, Malika’s Poetry Kitchen, The Spoken Word Education Programme, The Octavia Collective, The Obsidian Foundation and more. The relationships formed and things created over this time helped to springboard many of the leading poets and practitioners today.
Curated by The National Poetry Library with Renaissance One. With special thanks to Spread The Word (now London Writers Centre), Bernardine Evaristo and Ruth Borthwick.
Need to know
Times & tickets
Dates, times and prices
Dates & times
22 Oct 2026, 8pm
Run time
1 hour and 15 minutes (approx)
All timings are approximate and subject to change
Standard entry
from £13
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For your visit
This event is held at the National Poetry Library Southbank Centre
The National Poetry Library is open six days a week.
Tuesday, 12 noon – 6pm
Wednesday – Sunday, 12 noon – 8pm
Monday, closed.
Getting here
The National Poetry Library is on Level 5 of our Royal Festival Hall.
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
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Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Study & library use
The library is London’s only space dedicated to poetry study. Visitors studying another subject or looking for a place to work are kindly asked to find an alternative space in the Royal Festival Hall.