Waiting for Godden

Wednesday, 2 September 2026

Books & Festivals: Autumn 2026

September

Sept 12: Hastings Book Festival

Sept 13: London, Soho Theatre, The Good Immigrant

Sept 15: Bristol, St Georges, The Good Immigrant

Sept 19: Morecambe Poetry Festival

Sept 26: March For Unity, Hastings

October

Oct 1: National Poetry Day Special with Piece Of Work

Oct 3: Cable Street: Not Then Not Now with RTB & SportsBanger

Oct 14: Brighton, Theatre Royal, John Cooper Clarke & Friends

Oct 15: London Palladium, John Cooper Clarke & friends

Oct 24: Birmingham Town Hall, John Cooper Clarke & friends

November

Nov 6-8: Bristol, Weekend Writing Retreat, Raise The Bar

Nov 14: Newham Poetry Festival

Nov 21: Warwick Arts Centre, The Good Immigrant

Nov 25: Leicester, De Montfort Hall, John Cooper Clarke & friends

September 10th 2026 is the 10th anniversary of The Good Immigrant

And we are celebrating its induction into the British Literary Canon. Canongate has selected it for their iconic The Canons series. Very excited about this good news. Beautiful new cover. New introduction by Candice Carty-Williams. We are publishing the book in September 2026, ten years to the day after its post-Brexit release in 2016. Ten years have passed, we keep fighting the good fight. Thank you Nikesh Shukla.

To mark the book’s 10th anniversary, editor Nikesh will chair a series of live panels bringing together original contributors to The Good Immigrant, to reflect on what’s changed in Britain in the decade since publication, and what hasn’t. To book your tickets and re-discover the collection that lit a fire and gave voice to a generation, details at the Fane website:

https://www.fane.co.uk/nikesh-shukla

“Fearless, challenging, playful, moving and always real, this groundbreaking essay collection sees 21 leading writers of colour explore the realities of the immigrant experience in Britain. What it means to grow up and live in a country and still be made to feel like an outsider, no matter how long it’s been your home. When it was first published, The Good Immigrant lit a fire: telling the truth, starting conversations and irrevocably changing how we talk about race. But the work is far from done, and its wisdom is needed now more than ever. Here are 21 of our most vital voices, urging you to listen, care - and resist.” -- The Good Immigrant

The official companion podcast to the bestselling collection of essays, The Good Immigrant launches next Tuesday 15 September 2026. Find us and follow on your favourite podcast app!

I also felt like making a mighty book list of further and deeper reading, here’s an incredible list of some of the 21 contributors work over the last decade or so. I found about 75+ titles, award-winning, trail blazing books, audio books, plays, poetry collections, essays, non-fiction, short fiction, inspirational, impactful works, beautiful children’s books and powerful novels, check it out!
https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/the-good-immigrant-10th-anniversary

Lastly on a more personal note: I now have work in three books in The Canons: 1990’s poetry collection ‘The Fire People’ edited by Lemn Sissay, my literary childhood memoir ‘Springfield Road’ and now also ‘The Good Immigrant’ check out the full list ‘The Canons’ on the Canongate website: https://canongate.co.uk

Thank you for reading this far down the page,
Thank you to Nikesh and Canongate and TGI family,
We will keep on keeping on...
sgxx

All through 1936, Oswald Mosley's fascists had been chased out of towns and cities all across the country. On 4th October, Mosley tried to march 5,000 of his Blackshirt paramilitary thugs through the Jewish East End... but the working class said no. Tens of thousands of ordinary Londoners—bus drivers, dockers and factory workers stood shoulder to shoulder with the East End Jewish community and blocked the streets, defying police attempts to clear a path for Mosley. The Blackshirt march was turned back in what became known as the Battle of Cable Street—the iconic moment in the fight against British fascism. 90 years on, UNITE THE UNION brings together trade unionists, historians, artists, poets and singers to reflect on the Battle of Cable Street, the fight against fascism elsewhere in the country, and the struggles in the decades since. In 2026, the politics of division and hate is on the march again. Lessons and inspiration from the past help us in the fight for a fair society in the future.
A4 gatefold softback with holographic foil to the cover + Includes a special Battle of Cable Street 90th anniversary A2 poster by COLD WAR STEVE.
Featuring Jason Williamson (Sleaford Mods), Cold War Steve, Salena Godden, Tariq Mehmood, Jamie-Max Caldwell, Zakiya & Rex McKenzie, Rebecca Chesney, Anandi Ramamurthy, David Rosenburg + many more....

CABLE STREET 1936-2026: NOT THEN NOT NOW
rough trade books

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🎧 Looking for a NEW listen? I recently had a wonderful chat with my friend Molly Naylor on her MAKING TROUBLE Podcast - Making Trouble is one of my favourite shows, I listen to this one on the regular, and I highly recommend you check out all the episodes, amazing guests and chats. I was very excited to be asked to have a go and join her in conversation. Molly’s podcast is about the troubled life of being a troubled artist, poet, author and the troubles we share with making our work in a world on fire. I chose the topic of ‘overthinking’ and we talked about how this can be an obstacle, and also how it can be a great tool in the toolbox at the same time, how much thinking is OVERthinking? Like for example, how long is it taking me to write this very post without overthinking it? Ha exactly! You can hear what we had to say about overthinking here, but yeah, try not to overthink it!

MOLLY NAYLOR - MAKING TROUBLE

Monday, 1 June 2026

Books & Festivals: Summer 2026

HOT Summer Dates:

June 26: Royal Festival Hall

June 27: Ledbury Poetry Festival

July 23: Latitude Festival

Hello, here's a post to let you know about some summer events:

It Sounds Like Courage: Music and Solidarity - 26.06.2026, 7.30pm.

Music and spoken word shaped by migration, co-curated by Anoushka Shankar and Counterpoints Arts. Hosted by comedian Nish Kumar, this performance brings together award-winning Palestinian singer, composer, and flautist Nai Barghouti, conducted by Robert Ames with the London Contemporary Orchestra. There are also musical performances from renowned Kora virtuoso Seckou Keita, Afrofusion rapper MoYah, Mercury Prize-nominated songwriter Nadine Shah, and soul singer and songwriter Nectar Woode. Plus, poetry from award-winning poets Inua Ellams, Nikita Gill and Salena Godden. Featuring artists with lived experience of displacement, musicians with migrant heritage and high-profile allies in the fight for justice and equality, It Sounds Like Courage is a night to imagine new possibilities together, with community and solidarity at its centre.

tickets: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk

June 26: Royal Festival Hall, Southbank

June 27: Ledbury Poetry Festival

July 19: Maryville Salon with Joelle Taylor

July 23 - 26: Latitude Festival

August 24th - 29th: Arvon with Nikita Gill

September 9th: Manchester, The Good Immigrant

September 12: Hastings Book Festival

September 13th: London, The Good Immigrant

September 15th: Bristol, The Good Immigrant

September 19: Morecambe Poetry Festival

October 14: Brighton, Theatre Royal with John Cooper Clarke

October 15: London Palladium with John Cooper Clarke

This September is the 10th anniversary of The Good Immigrant. And we are celebrating its induction into the British Literary Canon. Canongate has selected it for their iconic The Canons series. Very excited about this good news. Beautiful new cover. We are publishing the book in September 2026, ten years to the day after its post-Brexit release in 2016. Ten years have passed, we keep fighting the good fight. Thank you Nikesh Shukla.

Pre-order is available now and to mark the book’s 10th anniversary, editor Nikesh will chair a series of live panels bringing together original contributors to The Good Immigrant, to reflect on what’s changed in Britain in the decade since publication, and what hasn’t. To book your tickets and re-discover the collection that lit a fire and gave voice to a generation, details at the Fane website:

https://www.fane.co.uk/nikesh-shukla

All you fascists bound to lose.

I'm honoured to have a poem 'Is Anybody Out There' featured on this new album, Natural Symphony's HUMAN | NATURE

HUMAN | NATURE translates movement, rhythm, and biological signals into music, blurring the boundaries between technology, humanity, and environment. Find out more about HUMAN | NATURE, stream on all major platforms, or purchase the gift set from Natural Symphony. A multi-genre, storytelling electronic music album.

The gift set contains:

1 x Hand made wooden case with glass lid

1 x Crystal/wood USB stick

1 x 100 page picture/story book

1 x USB is loaded with the Human | Nature album and bonus Amazon Rainforest documentary by Remi Bumstead featuring Natural Symphony

100% of all Royalties are going to Earth Sonic and Seeds of Sound environmental projects around the world.

label: https://naturalsymphony.co.uk/products/human-nature-album

Sharing art that captures the now, the new Banksy:

See the man in his suit, blinded by his flag, marching into the abyss.

See you all this Midsummers, see you at these beautiful events at the RFH Southbank and at Ledbury and at Latitude. I'm a bit like a hermit crab right now, quietly working on my new books and new projects. Trying to make time to stare at big skies, take deep breaths, dream big dreams, grow flowers and patiently birth new worlds. Please take care out there, eat your greens, drink plenty of water, rest when your body tells you to, and we keep on keeping on, fighting the good fight,

With love, grief and fury,

Xxsg