WORD is JJ Bola's most comprehensive work of poetry and writing to date. A collection that explores many narratives and themes ranging from the political to the personal, transcending history and experience, culture and tradition, separation and longing, and not the least, love.Consisting of almost 30 poems, and well over 10'000 words, this is a dissertation of life, an analysis, an introspective exploration of the world within and without.
A Kinshasa born, London raised writer, poet, educator and workshop facilitator. London and UK based, but also international; Paris, Brussels, Boston etc, most recently San Francisco and Oakland, where he won the Oakland Poetry Slam. Performs regularly at shows and festivals such as Tongue Fu, Vocals & Verses, Chill Pill, The Round House, Ventnor Fringe, etc as well as Universities; SOAS, UCL, Oxford, Lincoln, University of Birmingham, Standford University and Merrit College in the Bay and other public institutions. Also includes various Radio and Television appearances.
JJ Bola has successfully published two books of poetry Elevate and Daughter of the Sun (ebook). His third, and latest, is his most comprehensive poetry collection WORD, which was launched to a sold out crowd, during Refugee Week on the 18th of June 2015 at Dalston Roof Park. JJ Bola’s work is centred on a narrative of empowerment, humanisation, healing of trauma as well as discovery of self through art, literature and poetry. Creating the increasingingly popular addage, 'hype your writers like you do you rappers', he believes that the true purpose of poetry (art) is to expose the reality of this world and how to, most importantly, survive it. [taken from author's website]