Dean Atta was shortlisted for the Polari First Book Prize for his debut poetry collection, I Am Nobody’s Nigger. His poems deal with themes of race, gender, identity and growing up, and have appeared on BBC One, BBC Radio 4, BBC World Service and Channel 4. Dean was named as one of the most influential LGBT people in the UK by the Independent on Sunday. He regularly performs across the UK and internationally. Dean is a member of Keats House Poets Forum and Malika’s Poetry Kitchen. He has a Philosophy and English BA from the University of Sussex and a Writer/Teacher MA from Goldsmiths, University of London. Dean is a tutor for Poetry School and a Writer in Residence for First Story. His debut novel, The Black Flamingo, will be published in August 2019 by Hodder Children’s Books.

Keith Jarrett writes poetry and short fiction. His collection of poetry, Selah, is published by Burning Eye. His stories have appeared in anthologies and magazines, including Attitude and Tell Tales IV, with influences ranging from Caribbean trickster figures to Latin American surrealism. In 2010, Keith was UK Poetry Slam Champion. In 2013, his five-star reviewed show Identity Mix-Up debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe festival. In 2014, he completed the pioneering Spoken Word Educators programme, teaching in a secondary school while studying for an MA at Goldsmiths University; he also won the Rio International Poetry Slam championship at the FLUPP favela literary festival. He was a Fiction Fellow at Lambda Writers’ Retreat in Los Angeles, 2015. Keith was commissioned to write a monologue, Safest Spot in Town, as part of the BBC’s Queers series last year. It was performed at the Old Vic and aired on BBC Four. He is currently a PhD scholar at Birkbeck, University of London, where he is completing his first novel.

Lasana Shabazz is an international performance artist who incorporates film, theatre, dance and music within their work. They have worked with artists such as Mykki Blanco, Travis Alabanza, Scottee and Big Freedia whilst working with a range of spaces from The Manchester Art Gallery and Tate Britain to The Malborough Theatre and Royal Vauxhall Tavern. Expect the unexpected.