Writing Our Legacy

08/10/2026

🗣️This Black History Month, join us for a day of conversation, learning and reflection on Brighton and Hove City's historical links to the British Empire, colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade symposium.

Bringing together internationally recognised scholars, campaigners and local community leaders, the symposium will explore how Britain’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and empire continues to shape racial, social and economic inequalities today.

🏛️It will also place Brighton & Hove’s own history at the centre of the conversation, examining the city’s links to slavery and empire through its maritime economy, commercial networks, investment histories and civic institutions.

✊🏾This symposium aims to open up conversations that can contribute to policy dialogue, institutional change and a deeper understanding of the city’s past and present.

🗣️Guest speakers:
🎤Bert Williams MBE, supported by Suchitra Dorothy Chatterjee and Samuel Emmott Lozano
🎤Onyekachi Wambu
🎤Professor Ahmed Reid
🎤Charmaine Simpson
🎤With opening by Chair Sarah Naomi Lee and Vice-Chancellor Professor Donna Whitehead

🗓️ Wednesday 21 October 2026
⌚4pm - 8pm
📍Sallis Benney Theatre, University of Brighton’s Grand Parade campus. 58-67 Grand Parade, BN2 0JY.
🎟️Free entry https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brighton-and-hove-citys-transatlantic-slave-trade-past-tickets-1999724353372

Organised by Brighton and Hove Black History, in partnership with the Centre for Applied Philosophy, Politics and Ethics (CAPPE) at the University of Brighton, and supported by African Night Fever and Writing Our Legacy.

07/10/2026

🎤Meet Akila M. Richards () poet, writer and spoken word artist, who will be kicking off Poetry Room in Brixton & Buntu After-Party with the creative writing workshop “Homing Ourselves, Homing For Each Other” exploring how we create, own and experience a sense of home.

🎊Akila will also be MCing Poetry Room later that evening, guiding us through a night of poetry, performance and music.
In this video, Akila shares what it means to be leading this workshop in the context of the Brixton community’s efforts to purchase Brixton Market and bring it into community ownership, something she is very excited about.

Join Akila M. Richards for the workshop:
📅Saturday 21 November, 5–6pm
📍Arch 535, Brixton
🎟️£5-£10. Link in bio

Followed by drinks, networking and traditional South African food available to buy before Poetry Room begins. The night then continues with a special Buntu DJ after-party until 4am.

🎨Akila M. Richards is a poet, writer and spoken word artist who has created work for theatre, exhibitions, audio installations, film and digital platforms at cultural and artistic events. Her most recent work is her Rest Experience initiative, which emerged from a residency at the Brighton Dome. She is a guest editor of Covert Magazine and her work is featured in the Glimpse anthology by Peepal Tree Press. Commissions included Witness Stand at Brighton Festival 2022 and a location-based story for the We Hear You Now audio journey in the South Downs National Park. Akila’s poetry publication Ritual for a Mango was published in 2024. She is writing her first novel.

💖Poetry Room artists: .thepoet

07/10/2026

Excited to announce that you can browse the Species Stories free digital exhibition, which features work from Dulani Kulasinghe, Jess Murrain, Jose Hall, Marva CeeCee, Rawz, Rona Luo, Sense Turner and Tamara Lois Ansah.

We produced this exhibition in partnership with South Downs National Park, South Downs National Park Trust and The Foyle Foundation.

Check it out: https://species-stories.southdowns.gov.uk/

Introducing a new digital exhibition, Species Stories 🦋

Species Stories is a creative exploration of the South Downs National Park’s most recognisable wildlife, bringing to life people’s reflections, feelings and imaginations. The collection has been created by talented writers and artists from Black and ethnically diverse backgrounds, alongside children and young people from across the National Park.

The exhibition features work from Dulani Kulasinghe, Jess Murrain, Jose Hall, Marva Carty, Rawz, Rona Luo, Sense Turner and Tamara Lois Ansah.

You'll also find a special gallery showcasing the work of schoolchildren from across Sussex and Hampshire, who took part in a creative writing competition inspired by National Park species. The exhibition includes the winning and highly commended entries.

Enter the exhibition here: https://species-stories.southdowns.gov.uk 💚

The free exhibition has been produced in partnership with Brighton-based arts and heritage organisation Writing Our Legacy, South Downs National Park Trust and the Foyle Foundation.

05/10/2026

🌻Meet the new Community Advisory Group members: Aileen Angsutorn Lees (Aileen Evangelista Ang), Dr Toyeba Mushtaq (Dr Toyeba Pandit), Muminah Koleoso FRSA (🇳🇬🇬🇧Muminah K | Award-Winning Writer, Poet & Content Creator), Reni Adebayo (𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗶 🦌), Ridhka Kakkar, and Sian Willett (Siân | Sussex Lifestyle & Local Gems).

They will join the group along with the current advisory members: Suchi Chatterjee (S.D. Chatterjee), Kate Jordan and Jasmine Isa Qureshi (Jasmine Isa Qureshi).

💭The Community Advisory Group exists to give insight into Writing Our Legacy’s community outreach and wider programme of activities, funded through Arts Council England’s National Portfolio (2023–28).

Working closely with WOL’s CEO, core staff and Board of Directors, they will:
🏘️Share insight on issues affecting local communities,
🎨Help us reach and better serve audiences historically underrepresented in arts and culture
💭Advise on programming, engagement, communication and access

The group members applied through an open application process and reflect the communities we aim to serve, including:
🌻Under 25s
🌻Families and parents with young children
🌻Over 65s
🌻Disabled people
🌻LGBTQ+ communities
🌻Refugees
🌻Marginalised and intersectional artists and audiences

Looking forward to working together!

02/10/2026

🎶Come and play with sound and movement! Marya Malas will be running a voice, movement, and creative expression workshop on Saturday 3 October from 1:30 pm to 2:50 pm as part of our Writing Our Legacy’s Art & Nature Weekender.

We will explore our voices through games, improvisation, movement, mirroring and making sounds together.

No experience needed...just a willingness to be curious and play. You can't get it wrong or right!

Aimed at young people, but all ages welcome! These workshops are always a crowd-pleaser.

📍Learning Barn, Saddlecombe Farm, Brighton.

🎟️Children and under 18s come for free. Lunch included. Transport from Brighton Station is available, and everyone is welcome.

Both days: £25 – WOL Non-members | £15- WOL Members
Full day: £15 – WOL Non-members | £10 – WOL Members
Half days: £5 - Limited to WOL Members only

https://writingourlegacy.org.uk/event/wol-art-nature-weekender/

Produced in partnership with Razia Aziz Waytu and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund (Downs to the Sea programme), South Downs National Park Authority (Species Stories project), and Arts Council England (Writing Our Legacy’s National Portfolio Organisation 2023-28).

30/09/2026

💧Cover reveal: Covert Literary Magazine Issue 6 “Water/Water in People's Lives”. We are so excited to share with you the cover for our new Covert issue featuring the artwork "Bequia" by Dionne Elizabeth Dionne Elizabeth

📚If you would like a copy, we'll celebrate the launch of this new issue with readings by the contributors on Sunday 4 October at Saddlescombe Farm, as part of our WOL Art & Nature Weekender.

🖊️That same day, you can also take part in a workshop led by the cover artist, Dionne.

💧We will be sharing more about the issue on the day; meanwhile, give a round of applause to the contributors featured in this new issue:

💧Contributors: Alinah Azadeh, Alton Melvar M Dapanas, Amanyi, Amy Z. Glass, Avril Shakira Villar, Cindy A Velasquez, Daniella Fearon, Dionne Elizabeth, Erica Li, Erika MacNeil, Eve Xin, Fan Sissoko, Fawzia Muradali Kane, Folami Bayode, Gayathiri Kamalakanthan, Gemma Weekes, Hanifah, Jackie Mendoza, j.emmy, Jessica Olivia Neill, Joshua Omeke, Laremy Lee, LiSa LoRe, Lucy Chau Lai-Tuen, Lu-Hai Liang, Maika Carrillo, Mbeke Waseme, Michelle Inniss, Nam Joo Huh, Omikemi Bryan, Penelope Helbest, Rachael Ajisafe, Rachel Ayeh-Datey, Reema Kausar Majid, Rhiya Pau, Roy McFarlane FRSL, Sandra Tan, Sheena Hussain, Shone Raine, Si Long Chan, Síle Maguire, Susmita Bhattacharya, TAVIA, Tireni Adeniji, Umi Sinha, Victor Cabinta, Yvie Holder, Zita Holbourne FRSA

💧Guest Editors: Roy McFarlane FRSL, Fawzia Muradali Kane, Gemma Weekes, Remi Graves and Alinah Azadeh.

💧Editorial Team: Amy Z. Glass, Claire Jacobs, Zita Holbourne FRSA and Jackie Mendoza

💧This issue of Covert Literary Magazine is part of Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation programme. This issue is part of the Downs to the Sea programme funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (The National Lottery Heritage Fund). In partnership with South Downs National Park Trust (South Downs Trust) , South Downs National Park Authority (South Downs National Park), Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Western Sussex Rivers Trust (Western Sussex Rivers Trust), Brighton and Hove City Council (Brighton & Hove City Council), and Writing Our Legacy.

28/09/2026

🖊️We have such a great lineup of activities for the WOL Art & Nature Weekender programme. On Saturday afternoon, Heather Pearson will be running a writing workshop: Writing the Waves: The Bridge between Sound, Poetry, and Song.
Writing Our Legacy’s Art & Nature Weekender

Together we will explore how music and sound can inspire our writing; discover musical techniques to use in poetry; and try out these new techniques in a supportive, creative environment. We’ll discuss rhythm, repetition; texture, tone; constraints vs flow, and set our own words to music.

No previous experience required!

💧Heather Pearson is a Downs to the Sea Round 2 commission artist.

🍂Join us for a weekend of creativity and community in nature, with a programme of workshops, readings, talks, walks and more!

📍Saddlecombe Farm, Brighton.

🎟️Children and under 18s come for free. Lunch included. Transport from Brighton Station is available, and everyone is welcome.

Both days: £25 – WOL Non-members | £15- WOL Members
Full day: £15 – WOL Non-members | £10 – WOL Members
Half days: £5 - Limited number to WOL Members only

Produced in partnership with Waytu () and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund ( )(Downs to the Sea programme), South Downs National Park Authority () (Species Stories project), and Arts Council England () (Writing Our Legacy’s National Portfolio Organisation 2023-28).

26/09/2026

💧Writer Sarah Forbes shares what we will be exploring at her workshop “Writing Through Listening.”

🖊️Sarah will be leading the first workshop of the WOL Art & Nature Weekender on Saturday 3 October 11am-12:20pm at Saddlecombe Farm.
Writing Our Legacy’s Art & Nature Weekender

👀Drawing on her training as a classical singer, Sarah will lead a set of exercises to encourage us to listen in different ways – to our bodies, our voices, the world around us, recorded music and our own inner thoughts – to inspire new writing.

💧Sarah Forbes is a Downs to the Sea Round 2 commission artist.

😍Join us for a weekend of creativity and community in nature, with a programme of workshops, readings, talks and walks and more!
📍Saddlecombe Farm, Brighton. �🎟️Children and under 18s come for free. Lunch included. Transport from Brighton Station is available, and everyone is welcome.
Both days: £25 – WOL Non-members | £15- WOL Members
Full day: £15 – WOL Non-members | £10 – WOL Members
Half days: £5 - Limited number to WOL Members only

☀️Produced in partnership with Waytu () and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund ( )(Downs to the Sea programme), South Downs National Park Authority () (Species Stories project), and Arts Council England () (Writing Our Legacy’s National Portfolio Organisation 2023-28).

25/09/2026

🏞️ A programme full of workshops, readings and walks for our Art & Nature Weekender on 3 & 4 October.

🐌 On Saturday we have workshops led by: Sarah Forbes (Sarah Forbes), Marya Malas (aimed at children and young people) and Heather Pearson (Heather 🌸🍃).

🐝 On Sunday Dulani Kulasinghe (.kulasinghe) & Sea Sharp (Sea Sharp) (aimed at children and young people), Dionne Elizabeth (Dionne Elizabeth) and a meditation by Kharis Epiphany (Kharis) and Akila Richards (Akila M Richards).

🎤Expect readings by contributors from our Changing Chalk anthology and we will be launching our brand new Covert Literature Magazine 6 “Water”.

💧We will also have a gentle walk and talk about the dewpond by Will Johanson, Ponds and Engagement Ranger for the Downs to the Sea project.

📅Saturday 3 October (10:30am-5:15pm) and Sunday 4 October (10:30am-4:45pm) 📍Saddlecombe Farm, Brighton.
🎟️Children and under 18s come for free. Lunch included. Transport from Brighton Station is available, and everyone is welcome.

Both days: £25 – WOL Non-members | £15- WOL Members
Full day: £15 – WOL Non-members | £10 – WOL Members
Half days: £10 – WOL Non-members | £5- WOL Members

Produced in partnership with Waytu (Razia Aziz) and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund (The National Lottery Heritage Fund )(Downs to the Sea programme), South Downs National Park Authority (South Downs National Park) (Species Stories project), and Arts Council England (Arts Council England) (Writing Our Legacy’s National Portfolio Organisation 2023-28).

Writing Our Legacy’s Art & Nature Weekender

21/09/2026

✨ MEET THE ARTISTS ✨

We are so excited to announce the artists joining us at Poetry Room in Brixton: Buntu After Party, happening at Arch 535 in Brixton, London, on Saturday 21 November.

Headlining this edition of Poetry Room are BAFTA-winning poet and screenwriter Dean Atta () and poet, drummer & cross-disciplinary artist Antosh Wojcik(): I Don’t March to That Drum preview.

With performances from spoken word artist, activist & academic AFLO.the poet (🍉 AFLO. the poet 《artist|activist|academic》), and singer-songwriter, writer, theatre performer and singing group leader Adriana Lord (Adriana Lord). Other special guests, soon to be announced.

Our MC, poet, writer & spoken word artist Akila M. Richards (Akila M Richards) – whose most recent project includes her Rest Experience initiative, creating space to rest & reconnect – will run a creative writing workshop.

There will be lovely South African food, and we will dance the night away with an after-party with Buntu (Buntu), a London-based underground music event built around the power of community and connection through sound.

Plus our Poetry Room DJ Fever2Ray (African Night Fever | Brighton ), who will be bringing sounds, culture and community.

🖊️Workshop: 5-6pm (limited spaces)
🇿🇦Food and drinks: 6pm-7pm
🎤Poetry Room: 7pm-9pm
🎵 Buntu After-party: 9pm-4am

📅Saturday 21 November 2026 | 7pm-4am
📍Arch 535 (arch535brixton), Brixton | Open to all
🎟️ Tickets £5-£20 (available via the link in our bio) / https://writingourlegacy.org.uk/event/poetry-room-in-brixton-buntu-after-party/