Furthering the art of literature, poetry and spoken word
Renaissance One congratulates Jason Allen-Paisant on winning the
T.S. Eliot Prize
We’re delighted that Jason Allen-Paisant has achieved a rare literary milestone with his outstanding collection, Self-Portrait As Othello (Carcanet Press), clinching both the prestigious T.S. Eliot Prize on Monday 15 January and the Forward Prize for Best Collection in October.
‘The Past Master’ by Patience Agbabi, published Feb 2024
Elle and her friends are back! The 4th novel in Agbabi’s adventure novel tetralogy for middle-graders has been released in Feb 2024.
Patience will be touring the UK between Feb and June including readings & commissions at Imagine festival at Southbank Centre, Chatham, Scotland, Alexandra Palace, Wales, Oxford and more.
““An adventure so thrilling it makes time fly!””
REST IN PEACE BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH
We are deeply saddened by the loss of the great Benjamin Zephaniah, pioneering dub-poet, writer, actor and musician. A real legend in the poetry performance scene in Britain and someone who always spoke out against social injustice. His great achievements paved the way for Black British writers. We send condolences to his family. Read more about him HERE.
2023 Highlights at Renaissance One
Winner of the Forward Prize:
Jason Allen-Paisant the Jamaican born and Leeds based poet and academic won the highly prestigious Forward Prize award for Best Collection for Self Portrait as Othello (Carcanet, 2023). Read him in conversation HERE. Poets Momtaza Mehri, Malika Booker and Bohdan Piasecki were also awarded Forward Poetry Prizes.
Jason Allen-Paisant has also been nominated for the T.S. Eliot Prize 2023 for his second collection of poems, Self-Portrait as Othello. This poetry collection explores the Shakespearian character of Othello as he navigates modern Europe. Allen-Paisant explores ideas of race and identity in his works. He hosted book launches in Leeds, London and Manchester.
John Agard performed at a number of events, including Bristol Old Vic, Rainham Poetry Festival and Metro Bank. To mark the 60th anniversary of the Bristol Bus Boycott he was the headline artist of a special WE LIMING event in Bristol. Agard is well-known amongst readers of all ages for his witty and charming poetry.
Patience Agbabi read and discussed her poem ‘Eat Me’ at a number of events, you can read the poem here. She also released the 3rd instalment of her middle-grade series, The Circle Breakers. Take a look at The Leap Cycle blog.
Grace Nichols read at a number of events this year and her poems are studied on the GCSE Curriculum which means that 1000’s of students grow up with her work. She received the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry in 2021. Her latest collection is Passport To Here and There, in which she retraces memories from the coast of Guyana to life in Sussex.
Anthony Joseph won the T.S. Eliot Prize in 2023 for his collection Sonnets for Albert. This autobiographical collection which addresses the impacts of an absent father is handled with ‘honesty, control and grace’ (Julian Girdham).
End of 2023 round-up
John Agard’s Inspector Dreadlock Holmes and Other Stories
Beloved poet and writer John Agard’s first-ever collection of short stories, Dreadlock Holmes and Other Stories (Hoperoad) is out now.
Wonderful author Irenosen Okojie shared her thoughts with us about John´s latest publication:
“A wonderful addition to Agard’s body of work. Teeming with mischief, verve and humour. ”
Follow that Word is a celebration of imagination that demonstrates the true diversity of language.
A dazzling collection of over sixty poems, Follow That Word delivers John Agard's musings on people and places from the modern and historical world. A wonderful collection that can be rediscovered over and over again.
With gorgeous black-and-white illustrations from Momoko Abe, it takes you on a thought-provoking journey into the wonderful world of words. This collection belongs on every bookshelf.
“The father of performance poetry brings you a collection of riotously funny poems.”
Forward Prize Ceremony 2022
Shivanee Ramlochan co-hosted the 2022 Forward Prize Ceremony in Manchester on 28 November, alongside Stephen Sexton.
Warm congratulations to Dr Kim Moore for winning Best Collection for her collection ‘All the Men I Never Married’, and also to Stephanie Sy-Quia for winning Best First Collection and Nick Laird for winning Best Single Poem – and to all shortlisted poets that we admire and follow for a lovely evening of readings and celebrations!
In 2022, in partnership with Words of Colour, we co-curated the digital exhibition ‘My Words’, which charts and celebrates 250 years of poets of colour. The exhibition includes a response gallery of new poetry and a collection of objects and artefacts at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM), which acclaimed poets such as Fred D’Aguiar, Shivanee Ramlochan, Joy Francis, Mona Arshi, Adam Lowe, Francesca Beard, Nikita Gill, Benjamin Zephaniah and more have responded to in a project curated by Melanie Abrahams.
The exhibition was launched at the Manchester, and is housed within the Museum of Colour Digital Museum.
Fred D’Aguiar toured the UK September to November 2022
Fred D’Aguiar’s latest book, Year of Plagues: A memoir of 2020 is about life, resilience, and art in the face of upheavals (Carcanet, 2021).
Shivanee Ramlochan UK Tour
Shivanee Ramlochan is a Trinidadian poet, arts reporter and book blogger, and the Book Reviews Editor for Caribbean Beat Magazine. Her first book of poems, Everyone Knows I Am a Haunting, was published by Peepal Tree Press in 2017 and was shortlisted for the 2018 Felix Dennis Award for Best First Collection. In 2022, Shivanee toured with us in the UK, to Bath, Manchester, London, Leeds and more.
Keep an eye out for Shivanee’s new book of creative non-fiction, Unkillable. Read more here.
Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze
1956 - 2021
Celebrating poet, playwright & author Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze
Poet, playwright, author, and mentor Jean 'Binta' Breeze touched many of our lives with her words. With her books, her political engagement, and her warm smile.
Following a period of ill health Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze passed away on the evening (EST) of 4th August 2021 in Jamaica at the age of 65.
Over two years on, we celebrate and remember her impact on family, friends, and audiences around the world on our tribute page.
“Where others have strived to assert their place on the cultural landscape, Renaissance One has drawn it’s own map, populating it’s highways and byways with the finest of poets, writers and performers… the contemporary arts and literature scene would be a lot poorer without it.”
Our projects combine words, music and visuals to reflect the buzz and mix of contemporary culture. From poetry and spoken word, to book tours and workshops, our esteemed writers respond creatively to themes in society, politics and culture, to develop exciting events that truly resonate.
Reflecting the contemporary literature ecology and 21st century working, we are a team of full and part-time producers, curators, and writers dotted about the country. This makes us responsive, clued up to and engaged with local needs, and enthusiastic about literature across a range of regions.
Want to book one of our writers for a reading, performance, workshop, residency , or another type of event? Or think you might be the new talent that we seek? Write to us or give us a call. We're always on the lookout for new people to work with and exciting projects in which to get involved.
