Join us in an event celebrating performance, oratory and rhythm with two of the UK’s most sought after poets, John Agard and Mark Gwynne Jones, with guest pianist and songwriter Rob Dimbleby. The show will feature Mark Gwynne Jones performing with Rob Dimbleby, a solo performance by John Agard of new poems and classic favourites and, a finale of an improvised collaboration between all three artists to round up the evening.
John Agard grew up in Guyana, where his love of language stemmed from listening to cricket commentaries on the radio and reading books and magazines. His poems have featured in the GCSE English Literature curriculum for decades which means that generations of the public have grown up with his words. He is the author of over 50 books including the acclaimed Windrush Child, and Wise Up! Wise Down! A Poetic Conversation (with poet JonArno Lawson). He was a recipient of the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry and the first poet to win a BookTrust Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mark Gwynne Jones is a Derbyshire born poet with a lifelong love of the great outdoors, magical realism and the sounds of words. The author of six collections of poetry, he has won four Festival Fringe Awards for Best Spoken Word. As resident poet for London’s parks, he explored what is meant by ‘common ground’ in 21st century Britain, and In 2015, he toured India and the UK with the poet Mamta Sagar. His latest project is a soundscape of his native Peak District, Voices From The Peak, a poetic trip through the UK’s first National Park. ‘Inspired…’ The Guardian
Robert Dimbleby is a London-based jazz pianist, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter from Crich. Known for his soulful, genre-spanning music, he performs solo and with artists like Mercury Prize nominee Sam Lee. A regular on BBC Radio, he has been described as a “phenomenal songwriter” by BBC presenter Dean Jackson and he releases music under his own name, receiving nationwide radio airplay. He has played on numerous stages including around Europe and Australia, Abbey Road Studios, and Ronnie Scott’s.
The event is produced by Renaissance One and Wirksworth Town Hall and is supported through funding from Arts Council England.
