THE FIRST-ever Collections in Verse showcase will launch next month at Leeds Central Library.

The collaboration between the British Library and Poet in the City will celebrate the Caribbean community’s impact of the city’s cultural landscape. It follows on from the British Library’s successful exhibition Windrush: Songs in a Strange Land last year.

The showcase, in the form of a lively “takeover” event, will look at music, fashion and language, and will feature live music, poetry, performance, talks and real-life stories. Among those taking part are Leeds poets of Caribbean descent Khadijah Ibrahiim, Malika Booker and Vahni Capildeo who will explore the legacy of Windrush.

Collections in Verse is a national project to spark new creative ways for audiences across England to engage with the British Library’s collections and exhibitions through the lens of local stories, histories and cultures.

The Central Library event is entitled Colonizin in Reverse: Celebrating Caribbean Culture and will be on March 27 from 6pm to 9.30pm. here will be a set by Leeds DJ Fluid Irie, an open mic session with rapper and singer Testament, Dub Poetry with Roger Robinson, and live performance from singer-songwriter, composer and cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson

Tickets are free but must be booked in advance. Visit colonizininreverse.eventbrite.co.uk