Sewing and Stories

Come join celebrated poet Malika Booker as she takes over Compton Road Library for a full day of Sewing and Stories celebrating the role of Caribbean craft on Yorkshire’s rich textiles heritage .

Replacing tomes with tapestries, Booker invites you to grab a biscuit and a cup of tea and bring your own stories to the worktable to be weaved into a colourful community quilt. Booker will be performing newly commissioned poetry created in response to the British Library’s exhibition Windrush: Songs in a Strange Land live on the day.

With supporting performances and talks by fellow poet and crochet artist Musufing and Jamaican dressmaker Mrs May, there’ll be something for everyone throughout the day, no matter what time you drop in.

Inspired by the exhibition’s highlighting of British-Trinidadian fabric designer Althea McNish, Booker has been working to unravel the history of Caribbean textiles in Leeds and celebrate its role in the local industry and community.

During her residency at Compton Road Library, Booker has built relationships with the local sewing and knitting groups, and hosted events in collaboration with local textiles artist Carol Sorhaindo to develop her creative research within the community. This final take-over will bring together and celebrate the stories at its core through a hands-on day of crafting, adding the final patches to the community quilt before it’s displayed in the library.

Free! Reserve your space here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sewing-and-stories-tickets-55506693013