Kayo Chingonyi doesn’t always feel like a poet. “‘This isn’t terrible’ is as good as it can be. ‘This isn’t actively bad’ is as good as it can be,” is how he described the moments in which he feels pleased with one of his poems. And yet, despite his down-to-earth and modest attitude, the Zambian-British poet was this month named as the £30,000-winning International Dylan Thomas Prize winner.
When Welsh writer and broadcaster Jon Gower quizzed him on his recent success, he said, “To be thought worthy of this accolade is a wonderful thing,” adding that it was down to his teachers and friends that encouraged him to pursue his writing when he felt most discouraged. Even when a list of his own successes was recited, Chingonyi continued to shift the focus to others.
For him, poetry is about expression. He delighted audiences with readings of his poems about his fatherland, his mother tongue, his fascination with hip hop and the discord that comes from being multilingual. Oscillating between contemporary and canonical references, he proved himself to be a product of a culturally rich background in a diverse society. “I am often speaking the words aloud as I write,” he said. His is a poetry that shapes sound through the physicality of words, resulting in a musically rich collection that reaches audiences across the spectrum.
If you missed this, you might like event number 66, Natives; Race and Class in The Ruins of Empire, at 7pm today or number 81, The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah, at 10pm tonight.