Keith Jarrett
One of Val McDermid’s selected writers for the International Literature Showcase
“A poetry slam champion both in the UK and internationally.” – Val McDermid
<< Explore Val’s list of great UK LGBTQI+ writers
Cross-genre writer & performer; British and Caribbean history, sexuality, religion…
A UK and International Slam winner, Keith’s work includes two books of poetry and multiple commissions, from the British Museum to Heritage England, with bilingual performances in Bilbao and Madrid, and British Council trips to Uganda, India and Brazil. His short fiction and essays have been widely anthologised.
Keith’s poem, ‘From the Log Book’, was projected onto St. Paul’s Cathedral as a WW2 commemorative installation. His play, Safest Spot in Town, was filmed for BBC Four’s ‘Queers’ series and performed at the Old Vic. He was a PhD scholar at Birkbeck University, where he now teaches.
“lyrically rich poems, charged with emotion, passion and lots of humour” – Sabotage
“clever, insightful, humorous and humbling… an excellent poet and one to watch” – Three Weeks
“articulate, erudite and well-informed… his beat reminiscent of Linton Kwesi Johnson and the dub poets of the eighties, of rap artists emergent since the nineties, and – of the most celebrated poets of the twentieth century.” – BroadwayBaby
“Keith Jarrett’s poems combine a rhetorical purposefulness with a smart and adventurous imagination” – Jack Underwood, on I Speak Home
“This new black British voice is relevant and necessary” – Malika Booker, on Selah
“I’m honoured to have been selected alongside such phenomenal writers!” – Keith Jarrett
Photos © Ajamu