Image found at http://hyperfrank.blogspot.com/
Dean Atta gained attention from the mainstream media after a feature in The Guardian about his recent poem ‘I am Nobody’s Nigger’. I find Atta inspirational for various reasons. As I am currently studying a Creative Entrepreneurship and have known his name from the spoken word scene since I started out there myself, his use of social media to engage his audience is undeniably entrepreneurial. However, some people are uncomfortable mixing the creative world with that of business. Fear not, because this is not about a money-making exploitation. It is about being inspired and seeing opportunities in new media to express one’s ideas, and that is what Atta has done here.
This is what lies at the heart of Atta’s poetry. He takes something personal and turns it into something universal; his words are something everyone can identify with in some way and with which one feels a connection. He is not afraid to stand up against injustice, whether this be voicing opinions about race or sexuality. He expresses not only the power of the pen, but the power of the voice. Catch the poet himself at the event ‘Come Rhyme with Me,’ which he regularly hosts with fellow poet Deanna Roger the last Friday of each month. Showing there is no end to his talents, you can also catch Queen Pokou at Stratford Circus; a play written by Atta.
Visit Dean Atta’s website by clicking here.
