Nicole Moore, co-founder of Words of Colour, explains why she is stepping down as Creative Arts Director and outlines her future creative plans.
Estelle has not only taken the charts by storm with her single American Boy, but has impressed Joy Francis with her funky new album ‘Shine’.
Time Out feature writer and reviewer Tamara Gausi offers some pointers to budding critics including how to cope with adverse reactions to your reviews.
Susan Yearwood has launched a new literacy agency. As one of a handful of UK-based black book agents she is on the look out for talented new voices.
Read the second and final part in our series - a week in the life of a budding writer - with our short story competition winners. This time it’s runner up Mahsuda Shah.
Nick Makoha
Uprock This
At nine I wanted to pop like Turbo in Breakdance.
Freshly kitted in a two tone grey Nike shell-suit jacket
with concealed hoodie, that I hand washed in ice cold bath
water along with my indigo Denim jeans folded inside out.
In boxers I watched them dry on the balcony,
mouthing the melody to “TOUR DE FRANCE”
by Kratftwerk on my Sony walkman.
Underneath the stairwells I would tie
a broom handle to my finger and slide
across the floor perfecting the freeze and burn.
Tapping my right shoulder to start my turn.
Radioactive Puma green-black sausage thick laces.
My body locked like Lego as I throw out some poses
in the reflection of the glass door.
Behind the bins an oversized sheet of cardboard
became our recycled dance-floor.
Hooded nylon jackets circled me,
left elbow jabbed into my belly,
elbow touching my hipbone.
A boombox hanging out the window.
Cars slowing down on the street,
freestyling till I found the beat.
Balanced on a sweatbanded-left hand,
I kick legs hard and spin. Body straight as a fin,
the world and friends beginning to blend.
Legs tucked to catch my weight.
Dipped shoulder to headstand,
synchronized clap of hands.
Uprock This will appear in the ‘What is Black’ issue of the Trespass Journal
© Nicholas Makoha, 2007
Replica
I remember my first camera
in which I stored the portrait of my life
A window to nostalgia.
It became a map to the best parts of me
shown only to the ones I love.
This time machine of Technicolor memories
It kept what was hidden to my subconscious.
There is a version of me that always
smiles at cameras at the barrel of a lens.
The last replica sat with my father,
an African carving of a man,
whose heart was gentle as his voice.
I had seen more of him in pictures
than in person, his image preserved by negatives,
that held his heart but not his voice.
The lens caught him looking
into my daughters eyes,
his love leaking out the sides of his smile.
Replica is from ‘A Storm Between Fingers’
© Nicholas Makoha, 2007
Weblinks to more of Nick’s work
www.nickmakoha.com
www.myspace.com/urspirit
www.myspace.com/malikaspoetrykitchen
www.renaissanceone.com/
www.flickr.com/photos/nickmakoha/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvhN9Bo3tew
TV and film writer Veronica McKenzie uncovers her journey from shoe design to film production in LA.
Writer and performance poet Nick Makoha explains why his creative drive led to him giving up a career in biochemistry.
After years of writing, multi talented writer and playwright Maxine Quintyne-Kolaru shows why patience is a virtue.
Writer and life coach Jackee Holder provides a candid account of the trauma and joys of baring her soul during the writing of her second book.
