We are excited to bring Poetry Room to Arch 535 in Brixton this November.

Headlining this edition of Poetry Room are Dean Atta and Antosh Wojcik: I Don't March to That Drum preview, plus a performance from AFLO. the poet, poet and singer Adriana Lord and other special guests, soon to be announced.

I Don't March to That Drum takes poems from Dean Atta's forthcoming poetry collection of the same name and sets them to music composed by Antosh Wojcik. Dean's poems celebrate his Blackness and queerness while acknowledging the challenges other Black and queer people have faced and continue to face worldwide. The show is a rallying cry for love and solidarity, urging us to stand together but march to the beat of our own drum.

Plus DJ Fever2Ray (African Night Fever) and our MC Akila M. Richards, and an after-party with Buntu.

EVENT DETAILS

The afternoon will start with a workshop, followed by networking and dinner with traditional South African dishes to get our strength up for Poetry Room. After the event is finished, the night will continue with a special after-party of DJs by Buntu until 4 am.

You can come to everything or only to one! There's a special discount if you book both Poetry Room and the afterparty.

Workshop

Homing Ourselves, Homing For Each Other by Akila M Richards

How do we create home? How do we own and feel it most? And how do we live it?

These are some of the questions we will treat during the 1 hour workshop for The Poetry Room of Writing Our Legacy. We find ourselves in a unique place and time, where the Brixton community take agency to buy Brixton Market, making it a community asset. Generations have invested with their shops, art, activism and culture. Lives have been lived hard and joyful, challenging and collectively, tasty and sonic walking through the sound clash. Join us for this exploration on 21 November at The Arch 535.

Schedule

Workshop: 5-6pm

Food and drinks: 6pm-7pm

Poetry Room: 7pm-9pm

After-party: 9pm-4am

Saturday, 21 November 2026

Venue: Arch 535, Orphans Yard, Brixton Station Rd, London SW9 8QB, UK

Accessibility: The venue is not ot wheelchair accessible, and there are no accessible toilets. There is one small step to the dance floor (5cm high).

LINEUP

Dean Atta and Antosh Wojcik

Dean Attais a BAFTA award-winning screenwriter and Stonewall Book Award-winning author from London. Best known for his young adult novel in verse, The Black Flamingo, and the stop-motion animation, Two Black Boys in Paradise. His heartfelt storytelling draws on his Greek Cypriot and Jamaican heritage as well as his queer identity. Dean is a patron of LGBT+ History Month and Chair of the Poetry and Spoken Word Group of the Society of Authors. Dean has published three young adult novels in verse, two poetry collections, two picture books, and a memoir. His debut adult novel, Big Man, will be published by Cipher Press in September 2026.

Antosh Wojcikis a poet, drummer and cross-disciplinary artist. He produces music as /weirdtoday and is a co-founder of Sleepwalker Studios with writer-director Xenia Glen. His work explores memory, heritage, labour, time, and destabilisation. His debut poetry collection, Suburban Locust, was published by Bad Betty Press in October 2025.

AFLO.

AFLO. the poet (she/they) is a Brighton-based spoken word artist, activist and academic who uses poetry as a vehicle to disrupt the status quo and inspire social change. With a bold voice rooted in lived experience, AFLO. uses poetry as a tool for resistance, healing, and radical honesty. Her performances blend sharp social commentary with deep emotional resonance, exploring themes of race, identity, wellbeing, and social justice.

AFLO. has shared her voice at a range of venues, from grassroots community spaces to national stages, including the magical fields of Glastonbury and the famous 'red dot' for her very own Tedx Talk. AFLO. hosts and curates a regular poetry night at Brighton Dome, STATUS FLO, and was selected by Apples & Snakes to lead the Brighton branch of their 'Poet in Your City's programme.

Outside of performance, AFLO. is dedicated to community work, facilitating workshops and collaborating on creative initiatives that empower others to tell their stories. AFLO. is currently in the final year of her PhD, exploring Black people's experiences of mental distress and intimacy. She is also co-founder of BARCO (the Black Anti-Racism Community Organisation). Her interdisciplinary approach fuses poetry with activism, education, and collective care.

Akila M. Richards

Akila Richards is a poet, writer and spoken word artist who has created work for theatre, exhibitions, audio installations, film and digital platforms at cultural and artistic events. Her most recent work is her Rest Experience initiative, which emerged from a residency at the Brighton Dome. She is a guest editor of Covert Magazine and her work is featured in the Glimpse anthology by Peepal Tree Press. Commissions included Witness Stand at

Description supplied by the event organiser.