I Contain Multitudes, Conway Hall, 7 June 2022

Poets: Keith Jarrett, Simona Nastac, Jacqueline Saphra, Anna Blasiak, Mandisa Apena, Yola Folaranmi and Whit Cook

An evening of poetry and prose inspired by the world and works of Walt Whitman, America’s ‘poet of democracy’. Author of the revolutionary Song of Myself and considered by some to be America’s first gay icon, Whitman’s radical vision of democracy and universal themes of equality, comradeship and love inspired, and continue to inspire, freethinkers worldwide.

Curated by Karin Coonrod, this was London’s first performance of Whitman on Walls! – a show by the American theatre company Compagnia de’ Colombari bringing together over 50 performers from all over the world in a series of films inspired by the words of Whitman. The films were interspersed with live performances from London-based poets, weaving together film and spoken word into an unforgettable experience. I performed an original piece in response to the film ‘Nature + Democracy’.

Photo: Piers Allardyce © Conway Hall