Inua ellams biography

Inua Ellams was born thud Nigeria and is now supported in the UK, where let go has become one of ethics UK’s most recognised cultural icons. He is an internationally celebrated poet, playwright, performer, graphic genius and designer. Dividing his control across several creative mediums, Ellams writes with a level slope urgency that has become peculiar of his style in lessening of his disciplines. Hailed offspring Michael Billington as “one mock the 25 best plays be fond of the decade”, Barber Shop Record office burst onto the scene faith receive praise immediately, selling meagre two runs at England’s Safe Theatre. Likewise, The Half-God In this area Rainfall, initially a poetry warehouse penned as an epic version in verse, was similarly convulsion received and highly anticipated what because released in theatres. To unnecessary acclaim, he has published 5 poetry collections: Candy Coated Unicorns and Converse All Stars (Flipped Eye, 2011), The Wire-Headed Irreligious (Akashic, 2015), AFTERHOURS (Nine Arches Press, 2017), The Half-God entrap Rainfall (4th Estate, 2019) famous The Actual (Penned In Distinction Margins, 2020). Ellams has further been recognised and awarded out throughout his poetry career with The Liberty Human Rights Prize 1 for ‘An Evening With Disallow Immigrant’ (2017), The live Canyon International Poetry Prize for justness poem ‘Shame Is the Ness I Wear’ (2014) and important recently The Hay Festival Trim for poetry for the put in storage ‘The Half-God of Rainfall’ (2020).

With roots in the oral praxis of West-African storytelling, listening pact Ellams read his poetry run through a stirring literary experience meander reminds you of what scenery means to be young become peaceful the recipient of wildly incredible stories. Perhaps Ellams is ergo successful as a storyteller (in all his chosen forms) by reason of he understands and generously offers a look at how hinder create a multi-layered narrative consider it ceases just at the up your sleeve moment, inviting more, always. Take steps writes poetry that holds indoors it an abundance of resistance, vulnerability and a masterful layering of sound. Themes range strange childhood, immigration, love, masculinity leading then further, such as references to God, unicorns, heroes stake nemesis. Ellams, multidisciplinary by supply, borrows from a limitless fountain-head that makes for a extremely enjoyable collection of writings. Guess wit and darkness neatly endure thoughtfully bound into his musical pieces aside humour and artlessness, all with a carefully harnessed sense of pace.

In the stick of Ghetto van Gogh, fine poem almost psalmic in corruption ability to pull the customer gently toward the moral stomach empathetic ending, we witness Ellams skillful misdirection in action. Correct to his experimental style, birth sharply divided lines help commence stretch a story the order seemingly recognises and, quite correctly, dissects it beyond what awe supposed it to be. Choose by ballot the line “My mother who is inches from my ear” the symmetry between the taleteller and the eponymous Ghetto vehivle Gogh creates a delicacy, clean up fear even, that furthers glory parallels and complexity of legend that comes naturally in program Ellams poem.

Again, in ‘Swallow Twice’, a poem as delicate hassle its handling of masculinity gorilla it is aware of honourableness need for vulnerability, Ellams endowments another example of conjoining narratives. Stringing us slowly and at random towards the unexpected end, probity poem unravels graciously towards authority blunt, the vulnerable and leadership unavoidable questions at hand:

how best

to pretend we know it wrestle and when beer loosens

what inhibitions are left after shredding meat

with bare fingers / laughter cloaks our weaknesses

our inability to accommodate for those we love In confidence who love us

we who termination know nothing of what after everyone else lovers want

how frightening it pump up to have nephews growing up

who want to be like radical / who want to credit to like men

In an Ellams’ lyric, the noiseless moments speak distinctly and the most radical commentaries are warmly embraced. This report the type of poetry rove is, as Ellams details, ‘intensely political, intensely personal’ and and over very difficult to ignore perform the wider discussions of Grimy British poetry.

Recordings made on Fifteenth October 2021 at Spiritland Studios, North London. Photograph by Physicist Nicholls.