Kate Tempest talking about her new novel at DLWP

This talented, award-winning poet and rapper has enthralled audiences with her vibrant performances but now Kate has written an electrifying and brilliant first novel and will read from and discuss her new work.

Kate Tempest:In Conversation is presented by The City Books to highlight her astonishing debut novel which elevates the ordinary to the extraordinary in this multi-generational tale set in contemporary south London.

“It gets into your bones. You don’t even realize it, until you’re driving through it, watching all the things you’ve always known and leaving them behind. This corner of the city. Everything is yours and nothing else exists but this. South London.”

Young Londoners Becky, Harry and Leon are escaping the city with a suitcase full of stolen money. Taking us back in time, and into the heart of the capital, The Bricks that Built the Houses explores a cross section of contemporary urban life with a powerful moral and literary microscope, exposing the everyday stories that lie behind the tired faces on the morning commute, and what happens when your best intentions don’t always lead to the right decisions.

Wise but never cynical, and driven by empathy and ethics, it leads us into the homes and hearts of ordinary people and their families and communities, giving us a unique perspective on how we live with and love each other.

The Bricks that Builds the Houses introduces a thrilling new literary voice and the Independent described her as “A talent that knows no bounds” while author Ali Smith said the work was “powerful and merciful.”

Poet, rapper, playwright and now novelist Kate grew up in south-east London, where she still lives. Her epic poem, Brand New Ancients – a modern-day myth set in south London – won the Ted Hughes Prize for innovation in poetry in 2013, making her the first-ever recipient under 40. Her plays include Glass House, Wasted and Hopelessly Devoted. Her debut solo album, Everybody Down, a narrative-led hip hop record based on The Bricks that Built the Houses, was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize 2014.

Kate Tempest’s second poetry collection, Hold Your Own was published in 2014, when she was also named by the Poetry Society as a Next Generation Poet, a once a decade accolade. The Bricks that Built the Houses is her first novel.

Please be aware she will not be performing a gig. This event will be a conversation on stage with a presenter asking questions, with Kate also ready exerpts. Tickets £10 from 01424 229111 or www.dlwp.com