BIO:
Stanley Iyanu is a performance poet and writer from London. His spoken word poetry style has been described as having the ‘gentle power of a slow ocean building’. His poems have been published in the Poetry Society magazine, 14Poems, in international poetry journals and several anthologies including Queerphoria – Queer Joy, Verve Voices. A multi-slam winner, he has performed across the UK for Apples & Snakes, BBC Radio London and the Cheltenham Literature Festival. Incorporating unique perspectives: queer identity, British Nigerian heritage, a love of folklore and mythology, Stanley Iyanu brings wit, tenderness and charm into his writing and performance: a quiet storm of enigmatic poetry.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Stanley Iyanu takes the reader on a poetic voyage in search of the beautiful boys four characters and sections: the Libertine, the Outcast, the Villain, and the Joker.
Exploring themes of mythology, memory, modern love, and loss, the beautiful boys takes a humorous look at the pitfalls of dating in a city in your 30s to losing friends to suicide to finding love in oneself and in one’s community.
the beautiful boys is a love letter to the defiant, dejected, and deeply enigmatic.
PROVISIONAL RUNNING ORDER FOR IN-PERSON LAUNCH:
- Doors open: 7pm
- Event starts: 7:30pm
- Open Mic: 7:30pm – 8:10pm
- Break: 8:10pm-8:20pm
- Stanley Iyanu: 8:20pm – 8:45pm
- Book signing: 8:45pm – 9pm
- Event ends: 9pm
ABOUT
There will be a poetry open mic on the night; each reader will have up to 5 minutes (including any intros and preambles) before a short break then I share some words from the new book, ‘the beautiful boys’ – published by Burning Eye Books.
Hosted by Kid Anansi / Jamal
"That creative hurricane and me good friend, Kid Anansi!" Benjamin Zephaniah.
The poetic equivalent of finding out that the drinks machine in your local McDonalds has replaced its Pepsi button with spiced rum. Kid Anansi is confusing, frightening, delicious with ginger ale and lemon, and unhealthy in large doses. His poetry will have you laughing, crying, biting your knuckles in second-hand
embarrassment, or all three, mixing history and melancholy with slapstick humour and inimitable energy. A regular face on the BAFTA Award winning first season of Life & Rhymes, and host of poetry nights around London. His one man show:
FIRST premiered in London from August to September. His debut album KID ANANSI EP: Ebonymous Posch is available to listen to on YouTube, bandcamp and SoundCloud
Open Mic signup: free
Ticket: £5
Ticket and Book: £10
Pay What You Can* - no questions asked
Book costs: £7.50 - there will be copies sold on the night
- 18+ and no refunds
- tickets cannot be resold or used at future events
Please note that the book launch is intended for an adult audience and the poems read may contain challenging language and/or adult themes.
However, for the open mic, we ask that you do not perform any material that includes hate speech i.e. language toward a person or group based on their inherent identity, such as race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, gender, or sexual orientation.