Jay Sandhu


My name is Jay Sandhu and I’m a spoken word artist, comedian and rapper from Nottingham. My journey as an artist began with poetry, I found solace and self-expression in the written word. Over time, my passion led to me exploring hip-hop, a genre that has allowed me to infuse my poetry with hard-hitting beats and a rhythmic flow. I draw inspiration from my own experiences, my work generally explores themes of identity, race, self- discovery, social justice, and the power of community. I blend the raw honesty of spoken word with the gritty, soulful sound of lo-fi and boom-bap beats with sprinklings of grime!


I loved taking part in the project, the workshops with Joseph taught me so much and helped me to create so much! I also found the challenge of writing for younger people enjoyable and something I will continue. Working on this project has fuelled my creativity and made me want to explore writing comics next. Joseph made me run with concepts within children’s literature out of my usual boundaries and helped me shape pieces made it into the book. He made it look straightforward…. Reminiscing about our childhoods and getting to write fun poems about Koopa-stomping plumbers or iconic sports stars I grew up admiring was pure nostalgia through creativity.


‘are they going to fall off?!’ Dave said his uncle’s fell off when he held his ice pole for too long I need my fingers how else am I’m going to play Fifa.


I wanted to show the ADHD side of my brain here in ‘Andre’... how a thought can jump about multiple times to different but kind of similar topics. And then it switches back to what I’m


supposed to focus on. And then back again. I wanted to capture that and the childish whimsy of believing random things people say!


@SandhuWrites


@Nott.Another (Events) RACE: The poetry collection out now. linktr.ee/sandhuwrites linktr.ee/nottanother


Ioney Smallhorne


I’m Ioney a writer, poet and educator, my craft is ignited by my Jamaican roots, fuelled by the tapestry of the black British experience. I hold an MA in Creative Writing & Education from Goldsmiths University and proudly stand as an alumna of the esteemed Obsidian poetry retreat in 2023, and am an Inscribe Writer.


I was also shortlisted for the Sky Arts Royal Society of Literature Fiction Award 2021 and won the Writing East Midlands and Serendipity Black Ink Writing Competition 2021. My short story First Flight is featured in the groundbreaking black British speculative fiction anthology, Glimpse, 2022, by Peepal Tree Press. Currently, I am a participant of the MiddleWay Mentoring project, being mentored by Leone Ross, and working on my upcoming short story collection.


Joseph’s diversifying children’s literature program was nurturing and has been transformative for my writing practice. Joseph is a formidable force who has illuminated the pages for the next generation of diverse writers. In my writing I intend to acknowledge and celebrate Caribbean British culture. The poem Moko Jumbie connects the dots between British carnivals, Caribbean and West African folklore.


The elders say, years ago Moko travelled from West Africa to the Caribbean their long legs striding over Atlantic waves searching for their loved ones who disappeared.


Jasmine Thien


My name is Jasmin Thien, and I am a fully blind poet, spoken word artist, actor, playwright and stand up comedian of Chinese heritage. I was born and raised in Brunei, a tiny country in Southeast Asia. I arrived in the UK in 2017 at age 21 to read an undergraduate degree in Education, English, Drama, and the Arts at the University of Cambridge where I graduated with first-class honours with distinction. I spent a few more years in Cambridge hiding from the covid-19 pandemic before moving to London in early 2023 to pursue a career in the creative arts.


Ever since writing my own stories Ioney Smallhorne. Spring-Summer 2024 Jasmine Thien. PEN&INC. 11 Jay Sandhu.


about the Faraway Tree at recess in Year One, I’ve always been enthusiastic about writing. However, I never thought I could pursue it as part of a career until, in mid 2022, I was invited by the National Youth Theatre to write and perform a piece of spoken word poetry as part of their Platinum Jubilee celebrations at the Royal Court Theatre. I wrote, performed to an audience of three hundred, and received a standing ovation. That was the moment I realised that maybe writing wasn’t a far- fetched aspiration.


I was already a big fan of Joseph Coelho’s poetry – I was particularly enamoured with his Luna Loves picturebook series – and so it was a huge honour to learn from him.


Maybe that is what wrinkles are: life maps, so each time they plunge down with a wave, they know without a doubt they will rise again. PEN&INC.


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