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.

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.

Saturday 21 November 2026

Workshop: 5-6pm

Food and drinks: 6pm-7pm

Poetry Room: 7pm-9pm

After-party: 9pm-4am

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

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.

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 Brighton Festival 2022 and a location-based story for the We Hear You Now audio journey in the South Downs National Park. Akila's poetry publication Ritual for a Mango was published in 2024. She is writing her first novel.

Fever2Ray/African Night Fever

African Night Fever. In 2003, Ebou Touray from the Gambia and David Sijale from Tanzania, launched a monthly music night at the Babylon Lounge in Hove, showcasing the music and culture of Africa and the African diaspora. African Night Fever became a hub for local talent as people flocked to the nights in order to dance, mingle and experience a mix of Live bands and DJ sets. From that, sprang friendships, sharing and genuine community spirit. African Night Fever continues to evolve and partners with local venues and promotors throughout the UK to share a taste of African and Caribbean culture, belonging and community to a diverse range of audiences.

After-party with Buntu

Buntu is a London-based underground music event built around the power of community and connection through sound. Inspired by the idea of bringing people together, Buntu creates intimate dancefloor experiences where music, culture, and creativity meet. Exploring everything from Afro-influenced rhythms and deep house to minimal, melodic techno and hypnotic grooves, it's a space where the music comes first, welcoming like-minded people to connect, discover new sounds, and share unforgettable moments on the dancefloor.

Instagram: @buntu_sound

About Poetry Room

Poetry Room is our popular evening of poetry, music and conversation, which we have organised for years. We bring together the UK's finest poets, thinkers, and musicians to provide a diverse chilled ambience as we consider the big issues for the African, Caribbean, Asian and Global Majority communities. With special guests, poets and artists, Poetry Room has grown beyond Sussex and is now on tour once or twice a year. Poetry Room is produced by Writing Our Legacy in partnership with African Night Fever.

We started in 2019 at a small intimate coffeeshop called Africa House on the London Road, Brighton. Watch videos from our 2019 programme on Youtube @WritingOurLegacy

Writing Our Legacy is an Arts Council En

Description supplied by the event organiser.