Description
It’s been a century since Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet was first published. To celebrate this landmark anniversary, we’ve brought together a panel of poets to discuss its profound impact on the world of art and literature.
The Prophet is still the world’s third best-selling poetry book of all time and has never been out of print. Its lines have inspired song lyrics, political speeches and have been read out at weddings and funerals all around the world – but who was Lebanon-born Kahlil Gibran and what is it that still connects so deeply with readers 100 years on?
Our panel of special guests, including the award-winning poet Anthony Anaxagorou and spiritual teacher John Siddique, will explore the cultural impact of Kahlil’s seminal work and its influence on modern poetry.
About the Poets
Anthony Anaxagorou
Anthony Anaxagorou is a British-born Cypriot poet, fiction writer, essayist, publisher and poetry educator. His poetry has been published in POETRY, The Poetry Review, Poetry London, New Statesman, Granta, and elsewhere. His work has also appeared on BBC Newsnight, BBC Radio 4, ITV, Vice UK, Channel 4 and Sky Arts. His second collection After the Formalities published with Penned in the Margins is a Poetry Book Society Recommendation and was shortlisted for the 2019 T.S Eliot Prize, along with the 2021 Ledbury Munthe Poetry Prize for Second Collections. It was also a Telegraph and Guardian poetry book of the year.
In 2020 he published How To Write It with Merky Books; a practical guide fused with tips and memoir looking at the politics of writing as well as the craft of poetry and fiction along with the wider publishing industry. He was awarded the 2019 H-100 Award for writing and publishing, and the 2015 Groucho Maverick Award for his poetry and fiction. In 2019 he was made an honorary fellow of the University of Roehampton. Anthony is artistic director of Out-Spoken, a monthly poetry and music night held at London’s Southbank Centre, and publisher of Out-Spoken Press. His poetry collection Heritage Aesthetics was published by Granta in 2022.
John Siddique
John Siddique is the author of Signposts of The Spiritual Journey, a book on accessing greater authenticity and meaning in our lives and ‘So’ (Collected New Poems 2011-21) and seven other books. His poetry collection Don’t Wear It on Your Head is a perennial favourite with younger readers.
His work has been featured in Time, Women and Home, The Tablet, Granta, the Guardian, Poetry Review, the Rialto and on BBC Radio 3 and 4. Besides his books and writing life, John is a hugely popular meditation teacher. He is the creator of two online courses, ‘Self-Acceptance Through Authenticity’ and ‘Magical Moments’, and his online meditations have had over two million downloads.
About the Chair
Remona Aly
Remona Aly is a journalist and broadcaster. She writes for The Guardian, is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 2’s Pause for Thought and a presenter on BBC Radio 4’s Something Understood. She is also an editor and podcast host for various platforms.
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