Too Young, Too Loud, Too Different: Poems from Malika's Poetry Kitchen - Paperback

by Maisie Lawrence (Author), Rishi Dastidar (Author)

'We knew that black and brown bodies, working class voices, women's voices, did not have a space where they could be heard - and so this writing collective was a necessary and political act'

In the early years of the new millennium, poets Malika Booker and Roger Robinson saw the need for a space for writers outside of the establishment to grow, improve, discuss and learn. One Friday night, Malika offered her Brixton kitchen table as a meeting place. And so Malika's Poetry Kitchen was born.

'Kitchen', as it became known, has ushered in a new generation of voices, launching some of the most exciting writers, books and initiatives in British poetry in the past twenty years. Today, Kitchen is a thriving writers' collective, with a wealth of talented poets and branches in Chicago and India.

Too Young, Too Loud, Too Different is a celebration of Kitchen's legacy, an appreciation of its foundational spirit and a rallying cry for all writers to dream the future. The collection features breathtaking new poems by Warsan Shire, Inua Ellams, Kayo Chingonyi, Dean Atta, Roger Robinson, Malika Booker among many others.

Author Biography

Malika's Poetry Kitchen is an influential writers' collective based in London. It was founded in 2001 by Malika Booker and Roger Robinson. Members and alumni have graced the shortlists of major poetry awards and are some of the most important poets writing today. The organisation has inspired Malika's Poetry Kitchen branches worldwide, from Chicago to Delhi.