2025-03-10
29 分钟Welcome to Intelligence Squared, where great minds meet.
I'm producer Mia Sorrenti.
On the show today, George the Poet.
The author, poet and spoken word performer,
George is seen by many as one of the UK's most compelling voices in poetry, music and social commentary.
Originally hailing from St Raphael's Estate in Neasden,
George has spent over a decade working at the intersection of art and politics to shed light on how race and inequality still shape Britain today.
His innovative brand of musical poetry has won him critical acclaim as a recording artist and a social commentator,
and seen his words broadcast to billions worldwide.
In 2018, he was appointed as a member of the National Council of Arts in England,
and the same year he wrote the Beauty of Union, a poem read at the royal wedding.
Prince Harry and Meghan.
In 2019, George turned down an offer to become an MBE,
citing the British Empire's treatment of his ancestral homeland, Uganda.
His podcast, have youe Heard?
George's podcast uses fiction and music to tell stories about city life,
society, history and creativity, and has received five British podcast awards.
George recently joined us on stage at the Kiln Theatre to discuss the themes of his new memoir, Track Record, Me,
Music and the War on Blackness, locating his personal story alongside a broader social history of race and identity in Britain.
Hosting the discussion was writer and presenter Shantae Joseph.