Kemka Ajoku: My camera, my vision

The Cultural Frontline

A rising star of British photography, Kemka Ajoku talks about how his English and Nigerian roots have shaped his outlook. He tells us why he focuses on telling Black British stories and how he handles racist responses to his work.

Linton Kwesi Johnson’s unflinching political poems about police brutality, social injustice and protest have made him an inspiration for a generation of poets. But whose words inspired him as a young writer? Linton shares with us how the work of Martin Carter fired his imagination and his passion for poetry.

Xiran Jay Zhao’s New York Times best-selling debut novel Iron Widow has been described as Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid’s Tale. It tells the story of 18-year-old Zetian, the pilot of a giant robot, who is battling both an insidious patriarchy and menacing alien beings that lurk beyond the Great Wall of China. Xiran reveals how their experiences as a first generation Chinese immigrant and as a non-binary writer have influenced their work.

Presented by Megha Mohan.

(Photo: 'Gestural Greetings' by Kemka Ajoku. Credit: Kemka Ajoku)