Moving Words: Dance and Poetry with Oluwaseun Olayiwola, Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa + Maria Ferguson

Explore the interplay between poetry and movement at this in-conversation event with poets, choreographers and dancers Oluwaseun Olayiwola and Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa.

The title Deptford Literature Festival in chunky black lettering outlined in bright yellow, sits on a background in blue and pale blue. It’s an illustration that includes an image of a hand with a pen, a closed fist, and the words ‘whose stories are told?’, ‘resistance’, ‘community’, and ‘history’.

Free to attend. BOOK VIA EVENTBRITE HERE. 

This special event brings together poets and dancers Oluwaseun Olayiwola and Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa to discuss the overlapping and diverging nature of their work across both dance and poetry. Join us for poetry readings by these acclaimed writers, as well as an insightful discussion hosted by poet Maria Ferguson that delves into the interplay between poetry and dance, the creative processes behind them, and their power to evoke emotion and connection. Whether you’re a poetry enthusiast, a dance admirer, or simply curious, this event promises an inspiring and thought-provoking exploration of artistic expression.

Presented in partnership with Fitzcarraldo Editions.

Access information:

  • All of our in-person events Friday-Sunday, including this one, will be BSL Interpreted for audiences that require it. For workshops, you will be asked when booking your free ticket if you require the services of a BSL interpreter. For all workshops where one or more attendees require BSL interpretation, we will arrange for an interpreter to be there.
  • This event is wheelchair accessible, with accessible toilets.
  • Deptford Lounge has Changing Place facilities, an induction loop and assistance dogs are welcome. For more information: deptfordlounge.org.uk/access
  • A quiet space is available during the day at Deptford Lounge, in the Music Room, on the first floor.
  • If you require additional access provision in order to attend or take part in the Festival, for example, larger print handouts at workshops, or a scribe, please get in touch before the Festival day at: [email protected]
  • If you require assistance on the Festival day itself, please come to the Festival Hub in the foyer of Deptford Lounge where we will be happy to help you.

For more information about the access provision available, please visit: spreadtheword.org.uk/access-at-deptford-literature-festival

MORE INFORMATION AND BOOK TICKETS VIA EVENTBRITE

About the artists

Oluwaseun Olayiwola

Festival artist


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Oluwaseun (Seun) Olayiwola is a poet, critic, choreographer and performer based in London. He has been published by The Guardian, The Poetry Review, the Telegraph, the Times Literary Supplement and elsewhere. His debut collection is forthcoming from Fitzcarraldo Editions (UK) and Soft Skull Press (US).

Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa

Festival artist


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Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa is a British born Barbadian raised choreopoet. Safiya’s debut collection Cane, Corn & Gully (2022), which now resides in the National Museum of Barbados, was the first book to feature dance notation of the enslaved. It was shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize and Felix Dennis Forward Prize for the Best First Collection. Safiya is an Obsidian Foundation Fellow and a PhD student in Cultural Studies.

Maria Ferguson

Festival artist


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Maria Ferguson is a writer and performer. Her poetry has appeared in Magma, The Rialto and The Poetry Review. She was a finalist of the Montreal International Poetry Prize 2024 and her debut collection, Alright, Girl? was Highly Commended in the Forward Prizes. On the stage, Fat Girls Don’t Dance won a Saboteur Award and Essex Girl was shortlisted for the Tony Craze Award and won Show of the Week at VAULT Festival. Her second collection, Swell, is published by Penguin in 2025. Photo by Suzi Corker