Beauty, Borders and Belonging brings together two fantastic authors whose work – both poetry and prose - investigates identity, race, class, personal freedom, and much more. Kei Miller’s latest book The Things I Have Withheld is an essay collection that explores the silence in which so many important things are kept and what it means to breach it: to risk words and truths. In line with his poetry and novels, it’s a work that challenges the reader to interrogate the world around them.

Bashabi Fraser’s writing traverses continents as she writes about Scotland and India - her work includes Letters to My Mother and other mothers, Ragas and Reels, From The Ganga to the Tay and Tartan and Turban, and she evocatively celebrates the contrasts of the two countries whilst also finding commonality throughout her writing. Her latest book, Patient Dignity, is a poetry collection, beautifully-illustrated by artist Vibha Pankaj, that reflects on the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Two authors whose work will inspire and invigorate across any form they touch; it’s a conversation not to miss.

Tickets are FREE. 

All events in The Scottish Books Long Weekend will be recorded and will be uploaded to the Publishing Scotland YouTube channel with closed captions on Tuesday 15 June.

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Kei Miller was born in Jamaica in 1978 and has written several books across a range of genres. In 2010, the Institute of Jamaica awarded him the Silver Musgrave medal for his contributions to Literature and in 2018 he was awarded the Anthony Sabga medal for Arts & Letters. Kei has an MA in Creative Writing from Manchester Metropolitan University and a PhD in English Literature from the University of Glasgow. He has taught at the Universities of Glasgow, Royal Holloway and Exeter. He was the 2019 Ida Beam Distinguished Visiting Professor to the University of Iowa and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Bashabi Fraser is a poet, children’s writer, editor, translator and academic. As a transnational writer Bashabi’s work traverses continents as she writes about Scotland and India. She is Professor Emerita, and a former Professor of English and Creative Writing. She is the co-founder and Director of the Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies and Chief Editor of the academic and creative e-journal, Gitanjali and Beyond. Bashabi is also a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at the University of Dundee and an Honorary Fellow at the Centre for South Asian Studies at the University of Edinburgh.

Mae Diansangu is a Black queer spoken word artist, writer and performer. She is co-founder of feminist arts platform Hysteria. Her work explores the intersections between race, gender and queerness. She has been awarded commissions from the National library of Scotland, StAnza and Fringe of Colour Films.

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This event is part of the Scottish Books Long Weekend 10 to 13 June. For the full programme, see BooksfromScotland.com/scottish-books-long-weekend/.

Books are available to buy from our bookshop partners Bookshop.org.