Windrush: Writing the Scandal
By Wasafiri Editor on May 24, 2023 in
Wasafiri is excited to announce an afternoon of readings and conversation, Windrush: Writing the Scandal, which will take place live in partnership with Black Cultural Archives at their space on Windrush Square, London on 24 June 2023.
Windrush: Writing the Scandal
What does it mean to write the story of an ongoing catastrophe? In honour of the 75th anniversary of HMT Empire Windrush’s docking and in conjunction with Refugee Week, Wasafiri and Black Cultural Archives invite you to the launch of Wasafiri 114 – ‘Windrush: Writing the Scandal’, an essential collection of important, informed, and inspiring voices, edited by Henghameh Saroukhani and John McLeod. In the context of ongoing hostility against those ‘illegalised’ by the state, the poets, journalists, critics, artists, filmmakers, and activists gathered in the special issue demonstrate how advocacy and art intertwine in the midst of an unravelling political crisis.
This intimate event will explore the rebellious role of writing in our contemporary culture, featuring readings by Momtaza Mehri (poet, essayist, 2018 Young People’s Poet Laureate of London), Ira Mathur (award-winning journalist and OCM Bocas Prize winner for non-fiction, 2023), and James Goodwin (poet and PhD candidate at Birkbeck, University of London), who will all be in conversation with Dr Henghameh Saroukhani (Assistant Professor in Black British Literature, Durham University). The event pays tribute to the legacy of those pioneering Windrush migrants while complicating what it means to commemorate in the context of continuing state antagonism. Together, we turn to creativity and writing in search of new forms of solidarity and resistance.
When: Saturday 24 June 2023, 2.30-4.30pm GMT
Where: Black Cultural Archives, 1 Windrush Square, London SW2 1EF
Tickets: Full price £12, with options down to £0. Pay what you can afford.
Pre-order the issue here to receive your copy of Wasafiri 114 in advance of the event. Copies will also be on sale on the day. All proceeds from ticket sales will support our work as a charity and magazine of international contemporary writing, and of Black Cultural Archives, who collect, preserve and celebrate the histories of people of African and Caribbean descent in the UK.
We expect that this event will sell out, so make sure to book in advance, and if you are unable to attend, please let us know as soon as possible so that your place can be offered to someone else. If you are trying to book and the event is sold out, email wasafiri@qmul.ac.uk to be added to the waiting list.
We are looking forward to spending time engaging in rich conversation, soaking up the work of our talented panelists, and celebrating the launch of this special issue with you.
