That’s What She Said: featuring Malaika Kegode & Isadora Vibes

That’s What She Said, Bristol returns for its second outing with a fantastic line up featuring Malaika Kegode, Isadora Vibes, Leilah Jane King and Pascal Vine, plus an open mic.

Hosted by Burning Eye Books’, Bridget Hart, the events aims to present “the best new writing and performance by women, featuring iconic and emerging authors with a mix of performance, poetry, storytelling, slam and more.”

Growing up the most (reluctantly) ‘exotic’ girl in a quiet Devon town, Malaika Kegode cut her teeth as a poet and performer opening for bands in music venues such as Exeter Cavern and LeftBank, sometimes in trepidation but usually winning the audience’s attention with her beguiling delivery. Since those beginnings she has gone on to work closely with organisations such as Apples and Snakes, Roundhouse and BBC 1Xtra and is a member of the Raleigh Road Collective, formed as part of 1Xtra’s Words First initiative Malaika has performed around the country at theatres, music venues, literary events and festivals such as WOMAD and Boomtown. She inspires young people as a workshop facilitator. Currently living in Bristol, where she feels happily less ‘exotic’, she is creator and host of Milk Poetry, a regular thriving event in the city.

Bristol-based Isadora Vibes aka Katie Grant is a writer, theatre maker and artist. Choosing to stage her poetry in a more immersive, theatrical format, she has written and performed a number of solo and ensemble shows in Bristol, London, Edinburgh and Gothenburg. Artistic Director of the award-winning avant-garde punk guerrilla theatre company Dada For Girls , Isadora is currently developing a new show based on the poems in this book. A scratch performance debuted at the Stockholm Fringe Festival in September 2018 before being developed into a tour-ready production for 2019.

Leilah Jane King is a half Iranian footballer and performance poet based in Bristol. She started writing in 2011 in Brighton where she previously lived and studied. She has performed at festivals such as Buddhafield, Bristol and Exeter Pride and Bristol Harbour Festival as well as on local radio and won a Milk poetry slam in 2017. Leilah’s poetry slides into her Iranian heritage, experiences of prejudice, conflict and mental health. She has performed across the Bristol poetry scene and is an integral part of the city’s queer narrative, as well as speaking up for women in Bristol’s own antifacist football team, The Cowgirls.

Pascal Vine is a Creative Writing and Religions student at Bath Spa University in their final year. Winner of the January 2017 Milk Poetry Slam, finalist in the Gloucester Roundhouse Slam and featured as support and headliner in multiple nights across the Southwest. Recently contributed to mental health poetry anthology, “The Dizziness of Freedom” by Bad Betty Press. Pascal prefers performing poems about hard to explain ideas in the touchy-feeliest way possible.

Those interested in the open mic should email to book a slot

£5adv (£3 if student or unwaged – ID required on entry) – OTD it’ll be £7 (£5 student or unwaged) so get your tickets now!