Windrush 70th Anniversary Poetic Tribute with Kei Miller

Quick out the docks, Notts has already played hostess to various events celebrating the 70-year anniversary of the Windrush Generation. One of which was a poetic tribute organised by the radiant Panya Banjoko, and starring the cool-as-a-cucumber Jamaican novelist, poet and essayist, Kei Miller.

On Friday evening I walked up Mansfield Road to Neale’s Auction House, an exceptional space transformed with the installation of the SEE HERE exhibition by Quarrylab. Thanks to huge skylights and a gloriously sunny evening, the brightness and openness of the formerly derelict auction house made for a fitting backdrop for the poetry that would follow.

Before the evening began I had a quick word with Panya about the event, as well as the catastrophic mess caused by the Windrush Scandal. Panya said, “People have been deported, lost their jobs and their incomes, and this needs to be fixed for any trust to be built back”. But this was an evening of celebration as she added, “It’s a brilliant time to highlight what the Windrush Generation have contributed to this city.” And contribute they did.

Throughout the evening we heard some poems from The Nottingham Black Archive, contemporary poetry from members of The Black Writers & Artists Network and the grand Kei Miller finale.

First was Fonzse, a Notts based grime, hip-hop/rap artist. He performed tracks like Reflection and Legacy, spoken word rap over a recording of female vocals. He has a seriously infectious smile and made the audience laugh trying to work out which generation since Windrush he belongs to. Third? Second? Second born? Turns out it's a bit confusing. Either way he performed confidently and from the heart.

Next up was Ioney Smallhorne, who is from Notts and currently studying an MA at Goldsmiths University in London. Her Dad was born in Jamaica and her poems were chock-a-block with stories and harsh truths about emigration. She read a poem about her Nana and a washing machine, making everyone laugh, but, like a good poet should, allowed the serious undertones of her work to linger in the room once the laughs died down.

Saraa Rain, a spoken word artist and playwright, performed a hilarious piece about a pre-pre midlife crisis, the audience feeling varying levels of nostalgia for their youth and fondness for their age. She finished on a poem called Windrush, poignantly ending, “the wind rushes through my hair, the wind rushes through my roots, the wind rushes”.

Nottingham is a city of literature, and as such, we have a young poet laureate. She’s from Arnold and her name is Georgina Wilding. Keeping to the theme of the evening with poems about journeys, her words were about difficult moments from her past and she shared them elegantly.

Before Kei Miller kicked off, Panya shared some of her own poetry. She has just released her debut collection, which got whoops from the audience when she announced it. Her poems were thoughtful, and well crafted. Joined by her “partner in soetry (song and poetry)”, Panya read one of her poems, They and Them, to the accompaniment of exquisite vocals by Abii.   

And finally, the big one.

Panya, the self-professed number one fan of Kei Miller, was physically hopping with excitement as someone suggested she introduce the poet with a cartwheel. She confessed she asked him how he wanted to be introduced and, forever modest, he suggested “just Kei”.

And “just Kei” was who we saw.  

Genuine, captivating, cool. Having emigrated from Jamaica, you can see how Miller’s own migration might mirror Windrush, however he stresses that he never tried to be a British writer. This was evident as he read How We Became The Pirates from his collection There Is An Anger That Moves, which ended, “if I start a poem in this country, it will not be yours”.

Miller’s Jamaicanness and care for the country came through more than ever when he shared the latest poems he has been working on, unapologetically reading from his laptop. “These are not nice poems,” he told the audience, before reading some extracts from what will be his new, much darker, collection.

Events like this one raise awareness of black artists in Nottingham. As Panya quite rightly told me before the show, black artists don’t get the same opportunities or exposure, and she doesn’t know why. She organises these events to make sure they aren’t left in the sidelines, a place none of them should be.