Zena Edwards (born 1960s) is a British writer, poet, performer and multidisciplinary collaborator, who explores her African roots in work that utilises her musical talents. She has performed internationally at festivals, as well as in schools and colleges. She has been described as "one fthe most unique voices of performance poetry to come out of London".

Biography

Of Caribbean heritage and African descent, she was born in Hackney and brought up in Tottenham, North London, the only child in a single-parent family. She graduated in Drama and Communications studies from

Middlesex University Middlesex University London (legally Middlesex University and abbreviated MDX) is a public research university in Hendon, northwest London, England. The name of the university is taken from its location within the historic county boundaries ...

and also studied at the

London International School of Performing Arts Based in both Berlin and London, the London International School of Performing Arts (LISPA) was founded in 2003 by Thomas Prattki - the former pedagogical director of the Jacques Lecoq International School of Theatre (Ecole Jacques Lecoq) in Pari ...

. Her career as a performance poet spans more than two decades and in her extensive worldwide travels (supported by the British Council, UK Arts International,

Apples and Snakes Apples and Snakes, based at the Albany Theatre in Deptford, south-east London, is an organisation for performance poetry and the spoken word in England. It has been described as the main organisation promoting performance poetry in Britain. S ...

, The Roundhouse and 57 Productions) she has shared a stage with the likes of Linton Kwesi Johnson, Sonia Sanchez, Lemn Sissay,

Jean Binta Breeze Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Jea ...

and Roger McGough, as well as doing other collaborative work including with visual artist Theaster Gates, choreographer

Qudus Onikeku Qudus Onikeku is a Nigerian dancer and performer who has been described as "an atypical artist". He was one of the three artists invited to Nigeria's first appearance at the 2017 Venice Biennale. Biography and work Onikeku lived in France for ...

and dancer Akram Khan, and has toured with other high-profile names such as Hugh Masekela, The Last Poets and

Baba Maal Baaba Maal ( ff, 𞤄𞤢𞥄𞤦𞤢 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤, italics=no, born 13 June 1953) is a Senegalese singer and guitarist born in Podor, on the Senegal River. In addition to acoustic guitar, he also plays percussion. He has released several ...

. Edwards has had commissions from

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...

and Radio 4 and from the Birmingham Rep, and for four years was Associate Artist at the

Albany Theatre The Albany is a multi-purpose arts centre in Deptford, south-east London. Facilities include a flexible performance space holding up to 300 seated or 500 standing and a bar, two studio theatres, a performance cafe and rehearsal / meeting rooms. T ...

, London. She was Resident Poet at the

Poetry Café The Poetry Society is a membership organisation, open to all, whose stated aim is "to promote the study, use and enjoyment of poetry". The society was founded in London in February 1909 as the Poetry Recital Society, becoming the Poetry Society ...

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

, and was shortlisted for the first Arts Foundation Award for Performance Poetry in 2007, winning the Hidden Creatives Award in 2012. She has written and performed three solo shows, ''Security'' (2009) — described by Annemarie Kropf as "an absolute tour de force about humanity that bonds us all", and about which Lyn Gardner said in '' The Guardian'': "Edwards is a superb performer, equally at ease as an elderly Caribbean man, as a would-be teenage MC, Ayleen, or as a lonely, 47-year-old Palestinian photographer, Mahmoud" — and in 2011 ''Travelling Light'' (2011), followed by ''The Fury Project''. She has also produced the CDs ''Healing Pool'' ("a clever and fresh fusion of eclectic, soulful and African traditional vibrations") and ''Mine 4 Life''. Her work has appeared in publications including ''Dance the Guns to Silence: 100 Poems for Ken Saro-Wiwa'' (Flipped Eye, 2005), ''Security'' (Flipped Eye, 2012), ''No Condition is Permanent'' (Platform London, 2010), ''Reflections From Mirror City'' (Tongue in Chic), and '' New Daughters of Africa'' (edited by

Margaret Busby Margaret Yvonne Busby, , Hon. FRSL (born 1944), also known as Nana Akua Ackon, is a Ghanaian-born publisher, editor, writer and broadcaster, resident in the UK. She was Britain's youngest and first black female book publisherJazzmine Breary"Let' ...

, 2019). Among her involvement with various other activities and projects, Edwards is founder and Creative Director of ©ViD, an umbrella creative arts and activism company.

References

External links

Official website
* Zena Edwards
"Cooked in natural time"
Writers Mosaic, September 2020.
"Zena Edwards"
Black British Women Writers. {{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Zena 21st-century British women writers 1960s births Alumni of Middlesex University Black British women writers Black British writers British women poets Living people Year of birth uncertain