Skip to main content
View all events for category: Literature & poetry

Una Marson Celebration

Delve into the life and work of the pioneering Jamaican feminist activist, poet, writer and first Black BBC producer at an evening of discussion and performance.

More details for National Poetry Library, Level 5, Blue Side, Royal Festival Hall
This event has passed
A flag in a park reads \

Come along to discover more about Una Marson’s work and see a live performance from interdisciplinary artist Rosa-Johan Uddoh.

There’s also a chance to view a signed edition of one of Marson’s books and hear perspectives from librarians.

Rosa-Johan Uddoh is an interdisciplinary artist working towards radical self-love, inspired by Black feminist practice and writing. Through performance, writing, film, and multimedia installation, she explores the effects of specific places, objects, and characters in popular culture, on self-formation.

Uddoh was shortlisted for the Jarman Award 2022 for her film-making and was Iniva’s Stuart Hall Library Artist-in-Residence in 2020. She is a lecturer in performance at Central Saint Martins, and her first book, Practice Makes Perfect, was published by Book Works and Focal Point Gallery in 2022.

This event is in partnership with Southwark’s Una Marson Library and follows a walking event from the Una Marson Library to the National Poetry Library earlier in the day.

Find out more about the walking event, which is one of two walks taking place in August (Wednesday 14 & Thursday 22 August) on the Southwark Presents website, or by contacting either the Una Marson Library or National Poetry Library.

Need to know

Age guidance
For ages 16+

For your visit

This event is held at the National Poetry Library Southbank Centre

The National Poetry Library is open six days a week.

Tuesday, 12 noon – 6pm
Wednesday – Sunday, 12 noon – 8pm
Monday, closed.

Saturday 2 May,  Saturday 9 May  – The Royal Festival Hall is closed for an event, but the library remains open  – access via the Royal Festival Hall Artists Entrance.
Sunday 3 May,  Sunday 10 May – The National Poetry Library is closed.

A row of colourful lockers in rainbow order View larger image
NPL staff members sat behind the Welcome Desk in the library View larger image
Speaker stood at a yellow podium performing in the National Poetry Library to an audience in front of colourful lockers View larger image
A reading section with red and yellow cushions and chairs View larger image
A locker handle with 3 prongs View larger image
A tour leader speaking to a group of people in the National Poetry Library View larger image
The interior of a library with book shelves, desks and chairs View larger image

Getting here

The National Poetry Library is on Level 5 of our Royal Festival Hall.

Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.

The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues.  More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.

We’re cash-free

Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.

 

Access

We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.

All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access. 

All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.

 

Study & library use

The library is London’s only space dedicated to poetry study. Visitors studying another subject or looking for a place to work are kindly asked to find an alternative space in the Royal Festival Hall.