Time Come: Selected Prose

by Linton Kwesi Johnson

'Sharp and still relevant' - Zadie Smith
'A mosaic of wise, urgent and moving pieces' - Kit de Waal
'A book to be savoured and re-read' - Derek Owusu
________

Recognized as one of the great poets of modern times, and as a deeply respected and influential political and cultural activist and social critic, Linton Kwesi Johnson is also a prolific writer of non-fiction. In Time Come, he selects some of his most powerful prose – book and record reviews published in newspapers and magazines, lectures, obituaries and speeches – for the first time. Written over many decades, it is a body of work that draws creatively and critically on Johnson’s own Jamaican roots and on Caribbean history to explore the politics of race that continue to inform the Black British experience.

Ranging from reflections on the place of music in Caribbean and Black British culture as a creative, defiant response to oppression, to his penetrating appraisals of music and literature, and including warm tributes paid to the activists and artists who inspired him to find his own voice as a poet and compelled him to contribute to the struggle for racial equality and social justice, Time Come is a panorama of an exceptional life. A collection that ventures into memoir, it underscores Johnson’s enduring importance in Britain’s cultural history and reminds us of his brilliant, unparalleled legacy.

With an introduction by Paul Gilroy

'An outstanding collection' - Caryl Phillips
'A necessary book from a writer who continues to inspire' - Yomi Sode
'Incisive, engaging, fearless' - Gary Younge

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Essays, Music, Poetry, History, Biography Memoir

336 pages, Hardcover

Published December 5, 2023

About the author

Linton Kwesi Johnson (aka LKJ, born 24 August 1952) is a UK-based Jamaican-British dub poet. In 2002 he became the second living poet, and the only black poet, to be published in the Penguin Modern Classics series.[1][2] His performance poetry involves the recitation of his own verse in Jamaican Patois over dub-reggae, usually written in collaboration with renowned British reggae producer/artist Dennis Bovell. Johnson's middle name, "Kwesi", is a Ghanaian name that is given to boys who, like Johnson, are born on a Sunday.

Reviews

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some excellent essays and articles in here, many taking me back to who I was as a teenager. I had an LKJ album and I’ve seen him a couple of times at festivals. He is a compelling voice his words are sharp and his reggae beats are spot on. Lots of reggae and ska history, Jamaican politics, commentary on Thatchers, Britain, commentary on race, riots, and Stephen Lawrence, obituaries of key people. Something to dip in and out of, much more relevant if you already know who he is.

[Mark Rubenstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a massive amount of admiration and respect for LKJ, so this book was always going to work for me. There’s one great truth that winds itself in and out of this book’s pages with total clarity -- and that’s that there’s an absolutely fascinating and imminently readable autobiography waiting to be read, should LKJ choose to write one.

[Marc Rufí · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hola amiguis, torno a ser en aquesta nostra app desactualitzada. Aquest llibre està molt bé.

[Taff Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tremendous document of a seminal period of (especially) Jamaican and British Black history. A humbling read that draws into sharp focus numerous essential figures by a noble and gifted witness. It would have been great to have had some of LKJ’s poetry included too.

[Mark Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful celebration of LKJ's work that gathers together his writings from his early record reviews for Race Today, autobiographical material about his Jamaican roots, through to his later reviews and broadcasts, and acceptance speeches for awards at three universities.

Throughout it you can hear the distinct rhythms of his own voice that also run through his own poetry,and music is a constant here - from the album Grounation by Count Ossie and the Mystic Relevation that first inspired him ( "it blew my mind ") all the way through to Marley and the internationalisation of reggae,and LKJ's lifelong association with Denis Bovell that provided the backing for his poetry.

Never far in these writings is his call out to social justice - from his speeches on events such as New Cross Massacre that galvanized black resistance , and his understanding of how the Jamaican response to colonial and neo-colonial repression informed black experience in the UK.

(I've started a playlist of music that runs through this book but it is a neverending task 😎)
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1x7...

[Olivia-Savannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know when you read the nonfiction you didn't quite know you needed but you actually did? That's what reading this was like for me.

I really appreciated getting to learn more about reggae music and artists. Analysing not only the sound but the history as well.

There's also a lot about Jamaican culture and history that I didn't know before, and I felt like I was learning the history of my people. Then it moved on to Jamaican-British, and more recent momentous events which I also really liked getting to learn more about from his personal perspective, as well as from an informative perspective.

Oh, and of course there is a lot about poetry too. Why we do it, why we love it, and breaking down some of the Black poetry greats too. I learned about new poets and better got to know the ins and outs of poets' I enjoy.

I was less interested in the literature analysis section. But that section was short enough that I didn't mind too much, because afterwards we moved right back on to the good bit.

[Christian Gurdin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give this a biased 5 stars, simply because Linton Kwesi Johnson means the world to me. However, besides my bias, this text is simply wonderful. Picador has done a marvelous job editing this collection. The way the book has been divided into 5 different thematic sections felt like a smart editorial decision.

I was particularly impressed by LKJ’s skill as an essayist, especially when writing on the Jamaican and Black British music scene - although this is unsurprising for such a sensational dub poet.

The introduction by Paul Gilroy is apt and provides a nice sketch of LKJ’s many talents beside his poetry, and I think rightly Gilroy points out that this volume will help us now read LKJ’s work in a new light.

A fantastic read of a truly inspirational, principled figure.

[Paul Meyers · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a joy to listen to!

I became a fan of LKJ in 1981, when I first heard his music/poetry played by a flatmate in a group house in Washington DC. I was hooked immediately. Lucky enough to see him perform live twice - once in DC and once in Singapore.

Hearing him read his essays on music, politics, poetry, writing, his upbringing etc is such treat. Not only does his writing reflect his poetic sensibility, but his reading underlines the rhythms and emotions of the words themselves.

If you're at all a fan of his, I highly recommend this audio book. It was so good, I went back and listened to parts a second time.

[Adelka · Rating 3 out of 5]

In parts very interesting in its explorations of racial and transnational politics through music and literature, if a little oddly organised in terms of ordering the essays/speeches. An insightful overview of Jamaican and Caribbean-British culture and socio-politics in the 20th century, but it's clear that the essays were all written at vastly different points in Kwesi Johnson's career, and the disjointedness was occasionally slightly jarring. Some of the essays felt a bit random, as if they were placed there to fill the book out rather than contribute to an important conversation. Very much valued the overall reading experience though, and especially liked the literature segment!

[Caleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

LKJ is as insightful as ever. Here is a window into his Black British literary and activist life. His reviews are actual criticism of reggae music (or plays or poetry) - never fulsome. I learned more about Caribbean literature in a few obituaries than I did in all my reading in college.

I'm disappointed in the book itself. The paper is thin, the binding too tight. You can't hold this book in your hands without it pushing back against you.

Also: Linton Kwesi Johnson deserves a better editor. There are too many sentences that go nowhere.

I'd love an audiobook, read by the author.

[Rebecc · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating collection of writing, especially those essays & articles on Jamaican Reggae & dub through the 1970's as it was happening. Also powerful insights into race relations in the 1980s & a reminder of the New Cross fire & it's cover up, just wish that the proactive groups that LWJ mentions were as effectively active in politics & grassroots as then. Recommended.

[Darren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve admired LKJ for decades and was excited to find a signed copy of this book at Rough Trade in London this summer. He’s a powerful thinker and writer and I enjoyed the book. I gave it only three stars simply because I think it could have been more selective. There are a number of pieces that are awfully similar to each other.

[ethnicdreams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy Linton's songs, so I decided to listen to the audiobook. I wasn't disappointed. I've learnt alot of history from this audiobook. It's 2024 and we're still experiencing the same racial/capitalist issues in the UK.

[Joacim Blomqvist · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is becoming classic

[Alistair Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Linton has always been a hero of mine and this collection is excellent.