Slam Poet and founder of landmark poetry nights Jawdance and BoxedIn, Yomi Sode
Eclectic, competitive and radical, Slam Poetry is a fringe form of spoken word poetry and protest, blurring the lines between hip hop and the performance arts. It is an increasingly popular art form for those wishing to express political protest and radical emotion, due to its dramatic intensity in action as well as in language. It is also unique for its organic propensity to resist commercialisation and remain authentic on stage.
Poetry slams provide a platform for every kind of person to express their feelings on issues as far-reaching and globally significant as the refugee crisis, Black Lives Matter, identity politics and oppression of sexuality. As the world moves towards ever-increasing commerciality of art and self-expression ? an example being the twisted use of feminism as a fashion statement – it seems that Slam Poets may be the only people with the ability to resist these falsehoods and cut straight through to the truth of our times. Rhiannon Williams speaks to Yomi Sode, the talented Nigerian-born London-based Slam Poet, co-founder of landmark poetry night BoxedIn and host of Jawdance, on what makes Slam Poetry special.
LUX: Did you always want to be a poet"

Yomi Sode: No, poetry kind of crept in. I used to MC before, I used to DJ, I still have my vinyls – I am a proud collector of what I could class as ?vintage grime?. I kind of ventured in all aspects and areas...