Poetry Paradise with Dean Atta, Nikita Gill and myndstate

Poet, playwright and BAFTA-winning writer, Dean Atta hosts this very special night of spoken word performances. Dean has invited two of our most exciting poets, Nikita Gill and myndstate to join him for an enticing journey, transporting us through myth, belonging, identity and expression.

Award-winning Black British author and poet of Greek Cypriot and Jamaican heritage, Dean Atta’s work centres the Black queer experience, social justice, and belonging. He draws on his passion for queer storytelling to create this paradise of LGBTQ+ poetic voices.

Nikita Gill is an internationally bestselling poet, playwright and author of Irish-Indian heritage. Her work offers reflections on love and feminist reimaginings of fairy tales and Hindu and Greek mythology. She writes for young people and adults and is one of the most followed poets on Instagram. 

London-based performance poet and national poetry slam winner, myndstate, explores sexuality, identity, love and shame in his writing.

Join us for this celebration of the transformative power of queer poetry and performance.

Dean Atta (host) is an award-winning Black British writer from London known for his heartfelt storytelling rooted in his Greek Cypriot and Jamaican heritage. He writes poetry, fiction and nonfiction for all ages. For adult readers, his poetry collection, I Am Nobody’s Nigger, was shortlisted for the Polari First Book Prize, and his memoir, Person Unlimited: An Ode to My Black Queer Body, received praise from Michael Rosen as ‘wonderfully original’. His young adult verse novels are The Black Flamingo, Only on the Weekends, and I Can’t Even Think Straight. The Black Flamingo won the Stonewall Book Award and was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and Jhalak Prize. Malorie Blackman praised the book, saying, ‘I loved every word.’ Dean has also contributed to middle-grade anthologies like Happy Here: 10 stories from Black British Authors & Illustrators and the Instant No. 1 New York Times Bestseller Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood.  His picture book, Confetti, illustrated by Alea Marley, is a colourful celebration of love and life. Additionally, Dean is a screenwriter and executive producer of the animated short film Two Black Boys in Paradise, which was selected for the BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival (and numerous others worldwide), as well as being awarded Best Animation at the 2025 Ealing Film Festival. In February 2026, the film took home Best Short Animation at the BAFTAs.

Nikita Gill has written and illustrated 7 bestselling collections of poetry and three novels in verse, including the Sunday Times Bestseller and Number 1 New York Times Bestseller, Hekate. Gill has been shortlisted for the CLIPPA, the Goodreads Choice Awards and the Jhalak Prize. Her work has featured in the New York Times, the Guardian, The Sunday Times, BBC Radio 4, the Financial Times, Marie Claire, Stylist and more.

myndstate (he/him) is a spoken word artist, poet, and performer whose work centres around sexuality, identity, and mental health. His words — full of emotion, storytelling, and rhyme — have made him a national poetry slam winner, got him featured on the likes of BBC Radio London, Sky Sports, and Attitude, plus have amassed millions of views online. Known for blending hard-hitting, vulnerable performances with wit and humour, he creates poetry that feels deeply personal while speaking to human experience that resonates far beyond the stage. His debut poetry collection deep breath is set to release in November this year and will be accompanied by a UK tour.