Who gets away with it? Who gets to be a genius first and a criminal second?

Join poet Yomi Ṣode as he explores the imbalances of bias, power, and the privileges of a culture over time. Ṣode queries the lauding of Caravaggio, the Italian painter but also notorious criminal, asking what grace does being a ‘man of his time’ afford some in comparison to others.

Drawing inspiration from art history, modern media, personal experience, and contemporary society more widely, the lecture mixes discussion with insightful readings from Ṣode’s debut poetry collection, ‘Manorism’, an examination of the lives of Black British men and boys.

The performance lecture is adapted from Ṣode’s 2020 commission for Verve Poetry Festival in association with Poetry School.

Join us in Room 32 at 7.45 pm for further readings of his work.