James Baldwin: A Response

James Baldwin remains one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. In his 1987 eulogy Jimmy!, Amiri Baraka described Baldwin as a man who “produced, spoke, sang,” and, against all odds, remained “man, spirit, and voice, ever expanding and ever more conscious.”

In this spirit, writer-actor Joey Akubeze, lyricist Kianja, essayist Djeneba Deby Bagayoko, poet Keyari Page, bassist Dr. Gary Crosby OBE, saxophonist Denys Baptiste, playwright Caroline Adeyemi, and writers Candace Allen and Liam Sangmuah gather at The Shaw Library, LSE on 20 November for an evening of readings and jazz to celebrate Baldwin. The event features readings by writers who have composed response pieces to an excerpt from The Fire Next Time, alongside improvised songs and jazz performances. Ahead of the event which celebrates Baldwin not “as a celebrity but as part of our inheritance”, Colin Grant spoke briefly with Keyari Page who began by reading an extract from her poem, ‘A Caged Letter to my Love One’.