Listen to the world’s best poetry read out loud.
Obsidian Collection
This living and evolving digital and audio-visual collection explores the quality, influence and poetic lineage of contemporary Black poets in the UK.
This collection is a collaboration between The Poetry Archive and the Obsidian Foundation to recognise the importance of the inspirations, stories and social and cultural commentary that British Black Poets bring to the UK's poetry landscape. All the poems featured in this collection have been selected by the poets themselves.
The collection provides poets, teachers and visitors everywhere with an exceptional resource. It will introduce new poets and raise their profiles amongst new audiences.
This permanent collection will continue to grow into the future as the Obsidian Foundation continues its work to develop new poetic voices. We know you will love these voices and celebrate the joy and inspirations to be found here.
New to the Obsidian Collection
Poem
St. Paul’s Festival - Muneera Pilgrim
Poem
When They Speak of Muslims - Muneera Pilgrim
Poem
Poem
Poem
The last night of my 20s - Kayo Chingonyi
Poem
The Colour of James Brown’s Scream - Kayo Chingonyi
Poem
Guy’s and St Thomas’s - Kayo Chingonyi
Poem
Poem
Some Bright Elegance - Kayo Chingonyi
Poem
In Memory of Herbert Morris - Malika Booker
Poem
Poem
A Comparative History of Fire - Momtaza Mehri
Poem
Poem
Fluke by Any Other Name Is a Flight Number - Momtaza Mehri
Poem
St. Paul’s Festival
When They Speak of Muslims
Skin A Cat
Divine Light
The last night of my 20s
The Colour of James Brown’s Scream
Guy’s and St Thomas’s
How To Cry
Some Bright Elegance
In Memory of Herbert Morris
Nine Nights
A Comparative History of Fire
Intimations
Fluke by Any Other Name Is a Flight Number
The Door of No Return
“The stories that are in the poems selected reflect a broad church of Black expression and add necessary nuance to the times we are living in.”
- Nick Makoha, Founder and Director, Obsidian Foundation
Community & Culture
Poem
In Memory of Herbert Morris - Malika Booker
Poem
Poem
By Yourself Boy… (1988 – 2007) - Nii Ayikwei Parkes
Poem
Poem
Guerilla Garden Writing Poem - Inua Ellams
Poem
Poem
Afterword, London 2020 - Keith Jarrett
Poem
Outside St Dominic’s Priory: Snapshot, July 2015 - Keith Jarrett
Poem
Terminal Index - Victoria Adukwei Bulley
In Memory of Herbert Morris
Nine Nights
By Yourself Boy… (1988 – 2007)
Ghana by Air
Guerilla Garden Writing Poem
Diptych
Afterword, London 2020
Outside St Dominic’s Priory: Snapshot, July 2015
Terminal Index
Poet
Keith Jarrett
B. 1984
Poet
Nii Ayikwei Parkes
B. 1974
Poet
Inua Ellams
B. 1984
Poet
Raymond Antrobus
B. 1986
Poet
Roger Robinson
B. 1967
“We believe poetry is for everyone, and we make our poetry recordings freely available so that visitors to our collections can hear how the authors read their own work.”
- Dr Tracey Guiry, Director, The Poetry Archive
History & Identity
Poem
In Memory of Herbert Morris - Malika Booker
Poem
Poem
Poem
I’m good but I’m not red - Victoria Adukwei Bulley
Poem
Why can’t a K be beautiful and magick? - Victoria Adukwei Bulley
Poem
Poem
Poem
For Tyrone Givans - Raymond Antrobus
Poem
The Long Duration of a Split Second - Nick Makoha
Poem
I Ran Away from Home to see how long it’d take my Mother to Notice - Raymond Antrobus
Poem
Poem
In Memory of Herbert Morris
Thanksgiving
Hotel Art, Barcelona
I’m good but I’m not red
Why can’t a K be beautiful and magick?
Parasites
Hostile Environment
For Tyrone Givans
The Long Duration of a Split Second
I Ran Away from Home to see how long it’d take my Mother to Notice
Citizen One
Day Moon
Poet
Keith Jarrett
B. 1984
Poet
Inua Ellams
B. 1984
Poet
Rachel Long
B. 1988
Poet
Raymond Antrobus
B. 1986
Poet
Nick Makoha
B. 1974
Poet
Roger Robinson
B. 1967
Family & Relationships
Poem
Poem
Poem
Poem
Poem
Poem
A Gimbal of Blackness - Nii Ayikwei Parkes
Poem
Poem
Poem
The Child God of Chaos - Inua Ellams
Poem
Poet
Nii Ayikwei Parkes
B. 1974
6 poems available
“If my heart is broken, I should be thankful that I was blessed to have loved but I cannot live that wisely. That’s why I cry ”
View poetPoet
Rachel Long
B. 1988
6 poems available
“The ability of writers to imagine what is not the self, to familiarize the strange and mystify the familiar, is the test of their power. -Toni Morrison ”
View poetPoet
Victoria Adukwei Bulley
B. 1991
5 poems available
“I myself am bored / of fig leaves, of shames / I did not choose” – from ‘About Ana’
View poetPoem
Poet
Roger Robinson
B. 1967
7 poems available
“I want these poems to help people to practise empathy”
View poetNine Nights
Jail Letter
Car Sweetness
Sandwiches
Blowing Smoke
A Gimbal of Blackness
Half a Lime
Ghetto Van Gogh
The Child God of Chaos
Swallow Twice
Nii Ayikwei Parkes
Rachel Long
Victoria Adukwei Bulley
The Missing
Roger Robinson
"To archive poems that may speak to current or younger generations of writers feels incredible. I’m thankful to join a list of iconic figures who inspire me to craft my work to the best it can be."
- Yomi Sode, Poet
Writing & Inspirations
Post
Interview: Inua Ellams and the clash of language.
Poet
Derek Walcott
B. 1930 D. 2017
Poet
Linton Kwesi Johnson
B. 1952
Poet
Seamus Heaney
B. 1939 D. 2013
Poet
Jean Binta Breeze
B. 1956 D. 2021
Coming Soon
This collection will continue to evolve as we work in collaboration with the Obsidian Foundation to add work by British Black poets.
Poet
Jay Bernard
B. 1988
Poet
Jacob Sam-La Rose
B. 1976
More about the Obsidian Foundation
Obsidian Foundation was founded in 2020 and hosts The Retreat for Black poets. It’s led by poet and founder Nick Makoha with Roger Robinson, Dante Micheaux, Raymond Antrobus and Malika Booker.
The Obsidian Foundation was established in 2020 to create a community of Black creative poets and provide a place for them to express themselves with freedom. A one-week retreat will be held annually for Black African, Caribbean, Afro-Latinx and African-American heritage, including those of mixed-Black heritage poets who want to advance their writing practice. Participant poets have five years to attend three Obsidian retreats, after which they become Obsidian Foundation alumni.
This project was made possible with funding from Arts Council England.
