Poetry: page / stage / CURATION

Inua’s first pamphlet of poems was published in 2005, two years after he began performing poetry on stage heavily Influenced by hip hop and classical poetry. Musicality and heightened mellifluous speech mixed with Nigerian storytelling has come to typify his work. Once described as the love child of Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) and John Keats, his reoccurring themes are Identity, Displacement and Destiny.  He has performed at The Royal Opera House, Southbank Centre, mainstream radio and t.v., toured nationally and internationally performing in Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, New Zealand, America and in England, at the Glastonbury, Latitude, The London Word, Richmond Literature, Aldeburgh Poetry Festivals. In 2015, he was The National Poetry Library's poet in residence.

His poetry is widely published, notably in his pamphlets: Thirteen Fairy Negro Tales (flipped eye), Candy Coated Unicorns and Converse All Stars (Flipped Eye), The Wire-Headed Heathen (Akashic Books), #Afterhours (Nine Arches), in The Poetry Review Summer 2016, Best British Poetry (Salt) 2015, The Salt Book of Younger Poets 2012,  Chorus (MTV Books), City State (Penned in the Margins) TEN The New Wave (Bloodaxe), and in magazines such as Poetry Paper, Magma, Pen International, Wasafiri and Oxford Poetry, Poetry Review and Poetry. Inua won the Live Canon International Poetry Competition 2014, The Winchester Poetry Prize 2018, The Magma Poetry Competition 2019, The Hay Medal for Poetry 2020. 2020 saw the publication of his first full collection The Actual and he is slowly working on the follow up, Of All The Boys of Plateau Private School.

Inua founded several live literature events to put poetry and words centre stage. These include: The R.A.P Party - Rhythm And Poetry Party - a nostalgic, no-clutter, no-fuss, straight-up evening of hip-hop-inspired poems and favourite hip-hop songs, Poetry + Film Hack - which presents both artforms in collaboration, by adding live poetry readings to the viewing experience of magnificent films. Reel Mix - where 5 directors turn the same screen play into film, thereby showcasing the possibilities of multiple perspectives and interpretation.