Meeting Marlon James

Miranda and Marlon gimpA wonderful day at London’s Southbank Centre (my favourite place in London) yesterday attending its ‘Being a Man Festival‘.

I attended a few of the sessions but, by far, my favourite was the discussion entitled ‘Kanye West and the Paradox of Black Male Identity in Hip-Hop’, which was chaired by the writer and broadcaster Ekow Eshun in conversation with 2015 Booker prize winner Marlon James and Matrix Chambers barrister Matthew Ryder QC.

Marlon was kind enough to sign a copy of his Booker prize winning ‘A Brief History of Seven Killings‘ for me afterwards.

Suffragette

Nicky and MirandaI was honoured to be invited to watch the opening night’s screening of director Sarah Gavron’s new film ‘Suffragette‘ by her proud mum Nicky Gavron, my old boss, the former Deputy Mayor of London and still a London Assembly Member.

The film was superb. It was also the first time in Hollywood history that a film’s writer, director and main protagonists were all female.

To be so visually reminded of what the suffragettes went through – the police surveillance, community shunning, imprisonment, beatings, torture and force-feeding – strengthened my resolve to continue to play as full a role I can in the democratic life of this country.

Nicky is right to be so proud of Sarah for having made this vitally important film. We owe the Suffragettes our deepest gratitude and I’m glad this film has helped their own voices to be heard.

Bernie Grant Memorial Lecture 2015

BGT panelGreat to join a panel of amazing speakers at the 2015 Bernie Grant Memorial Lecture, which took place at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre in Tottenham, North London, last night. I have been a board member of the Bernie Grant Trust since 2012.

This year’s Bernie Grant memorial lecture was delivered by the brilliant Gary Younge, Editor-at-large for The Guardian newspaper. Continue reading “Bernie Grant Memorial Lecture 2015”