Description
Leilah paints striking imagery of the bustling cities of Shiraz and Tehran, the former her mother's birth place and the boho hubbub of Brighton and Bristol. She conveys a melancholic nostalgia and love for a culture still novel to her that is remembered warmly from childhood summers spent in Iran's beautiful mountains and parks. She shares an open, honest and raw account inviting you to navigate your way through sexuality, androgyny and anger.
About the Author
Leilah Jane King is a half Iranian footballer and performance poet based in Bristol. She started writing in 2011 in Brighton where she previously lived and studied. She has performed at festivals such as Buddhafield, Bristol and Exeter Pride and Bristol Harbour Festival as well as on local radio and won a Milk poetry slam in 2017. Leilah's poetry explores her Iranian heritage and her time there. She grapples with life's turmoil making light of family, love, and sexuality. Her poetry is comedic yet painfully reflective sharing her experiences of prejudice, conflict and mental health. Leilah has recently started performing comedy at various venues around Bristol including `Show and Tell' at the Wardrobe Theatre. In 2018 Leilah starred in a video titled `In Our Hands', created by Rife Magazine and the Watershed cinema. The film was created for International Women's day, exploring what equality is and how women can live freely in today's society. Leilah featured playing football speaking up for feminism.
Reviews
'How does a Leilah King gig go? Quite likely, it's a bit like this. Leilah walks on stage. She is tilted to the right, her head almost resting on her shoulder. She says hello in a surprisingly small voice. She is being endearing. This is a trap. Inevitably, someone takes the bait. There is a polite heckle - nothing hostile just some guy doesn't get the role of audience member and thinks 'this is a conversation and I'm part of it'. She glares at him. It's her stage and she's just been reminded of how much she wants it. That's when the show starts. The air changes. Her tone changes. It sounds like one woman trying to describe the whole world using the sound of her voice. We're watching films she made with her eyes. The poem ends and damn it! She's funny too.. I am secretly a bit grateful to the annoying guy for firing her up but I am careful not to say this..In fact, I didn't say anything.' - Tom Sastry; `Leilah is a bit like Bukowski, her poetry says exactly what it needs to with tiny stabs, taking you out of head into a club and back in again before the kebab on the way home. The cities she creates are visual, rowdy and often but not always melancholic, taking the listener for a stamp through wordy streets and moments of insanity before shuffling right on.' - Lydia Beardmore
Book Information
ISBN 9781911570660
Author Leilah Jane King
Format Paperback
Page Count 100
Imprint Burning Eye Books
Publisher Burning Eye Books
About the Author
Leilah Jane King is a half Iranian footballer and performance poet based in Bristol. She started writing in 2011 in Brighton where she previously lived and studied. She has performed at festivals such as Buddhafield, Bristol and Exeter Pride and Bristol Harbour Festival as well as on local radio and won a Milk poetry slam in 2017. Leilah's poetry explores her Iranian heritage and her time there. She grapples with life's turmoil making light of family, love, and sexuality. Her poetry is comedic yet painfully reflective sharing her experiences of prejudice, conflict and mental health. Leilah has recently started performing comedy at various venues around Bristol including `Show and Tell' at the Wardrobe Theatre. In 2018 Leilah starred in a video titled `In Our Hands', created by Rife Magazine and the Watershed cinema. The film was created for International Women's day, exploring what equality is and how women can live freely in today's society. Leilah featured playing football speaking up for feminism.
Reviews
'How does a Leilah King gig go? Quite likely, it's a bit like this. Leilah walks on stage. She is tilted to the right, her head almost resting on her shoulder. She says hello in a surprisingly small voice. She is being endearing. This is a trap. Inevitably, someone takes the bait. There is a polite heckle - nothing hostile just some guy doesn't get the role of audience member and thinks 'this is a conversation and I'm part of it'. She glares at him. It's her stage and she's just been reminded of how much she wants it. That's when the show starts. The air changes. Her tone changes. It sounds like one woman trying to describe the whole world using the sound of her voice. We're watching films she made with her eyes. The poem ends and damn it! She's funny too.. I am secretly a bit grateful to the annoying guy for firing her up but I am careful not to say this..In fact, I didn't say anything.' - Tom Sastry; `Leilah is a bit like Bukowski, her poetry says exactly what it needs to with tiny stabs, taking you out of head into a club and back in again before the kebab on the way home. The cities she creates are visual, rowdy and often but not always melancholic, taking the listener for a stamp through wordy streets and moments of insanity before shuffling right on.' - Lydia Beardmore
Book Information
ISBN 9781911570660
Author Leilah Jane King
Format Paperback
Page Count 100
Imprint Burning Eye Books
Publisher Burning Eye Books
