Black Artistry: Inspiration Recrafted

This is part 1 of a podcast with non-fiction writer (Charles) Jermaine Jones.  Here we talk about one of his artistic inspirations: Runners by the Nigerian artist Nsofor. In this podcast, he talks us through his process of reading abstract art and the relationship between that and his work, stating 'the writer in me makes me gravitate towards visual art'. image courtesy of Anthony Chukwudinma Nsof...

I discuss From Poverty to Prosperity: A Ghetto Exit Strategy as a Rite of Passage, with the author (Charles) Jermaine Jones.  Jermaine flew over from his home in DC to London for the event, which was in front of a live studio audience at New Beacon Books (North London) as part of its 60th anniversary celebrations. The event was a success: it was informative, there was laughter, but also tears as J...

In this podcast I chat to Malik Al Nasir, who kindly sent me an advance copy of his second memoir: Searching for My Slave Roots : From Guyana’s Sugar Plantations to Cambridge.  Malik has had a remarkable life, not least because he was mentored by the late Gil Scott-Heron (listen here to my previous podcast with him  ⁠https://www.mixcloud.com/MorleyRadio/morley-prize-podcast-series-2-episode-4/⁠ )....

In this episode, I speak to New Orleans-born London-based soul singer Acantha Lang.  Joining me in the recording studio, Acantha chats about one of her inspirations: the legendary Mavis Staples, as well as her own journey into the music industry. This episode was recorded at the end of 2025. Since then, Acantha has released another beautiful single: Til I Get It Right (see podcast cover photo). Wh...

In this episode, I chat to non-fiction short story writer Dorothy Lennon. We talk about Kiese Laymon's powerful memoir Heavy: An American Memoir and how its honesty liberated Dorothy as a non-fiction writer.  Related to Kiese's work and one of the interesting elements of our conversation for me as a linguist are Dorothy's insights on African American vernacular expression.  Dorothy shares some of...

In this podcast, I chat to spoken word artist and self-defined diva Desree. She talks about the influence of Dizzee Rascal's Sittin Here from his debut album Boy in da Corner, which seemed to define the mood of his generation and signalled a revolution in music production.  We discuss Desree's launch into performance poetry as well as the ethics that motivate and guide her work.

In this podcast, I talk again to soul food scholar, barbecue judge, James Beard award winner and former politico Adrian Miller, whom I first interviewed to talk about his book Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine one Plate at a Time.     In this equally informative and humorous podcast, he discusses the role of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man in his life, a book which he makes a po...

Street photographer Mr Geez is this month's interviewee. We met on the London Underground about a year ago, when he asked to take my photo for a collection that he was working on.  I had the pleasure of interviewing him at the end of  summer 2025.  We talked about one of his inspirations, the legendary polymath Gordon Parks, and his own journey as a street photographer.

Playwright, arts journalist and editor Kelundra Smith is this month’s interviewee on Black Artistry: Inspiration Recrafted. I first interviewed her to talk about her debut play The Wash, which received a Rolling World Premiere from the National New Play Network: Listen here: Morley Prize - S4Ep3 - Morley Radio In this podcast, we chat about Monarchs and inspirational short story writer J Californi...

In this interview is speak to artiste Soul Rebel, who’s got reggae music in the blood. She talks about one of her inspirations, a reggae legend, as well as her own journey into reggae music.  What I love about Soul Rebel is her vibe and positive energy.  And of course, her beautiful voice, which she shares with us in this podcast.