Jodie Yates could write a book about Linton Kwesi Johnson, the Black British poet renowned for his pioneering form of dub-poetry. But you can check out the abridged version of his life in this week‘s […]
An Ode to Leeds’ Nightlife
It’s the end of the academic year, and that means that some of us will soon be leaving Leeds for good. With this in mind, we gave our writers the chance to send a farewell message […]
Leeds Launch BME Conference
Following the BME Leadership Conference last Wednesday, The Gryphon Features explores the lack of Black, Asian and other ethnic minorities in leadership and academia roles at the University of Leeds, the Union and further afield. […]
‘Creating To Survive’ in the African Diaspora : an interview with Kaozara, Sistren and Zodwa Nyoni
On Thursday 30th November, the English department presented an exciting and dynamic event called ‘Creating to Survive’, exploring and celebrating art and expression in the African diaspora whilst challenging the notion of the ‘diasporic everyday’ […]
In Conversation with Caryl Phillips: ‘It’s not the first asshole that America has elected as president, but it’s definitely the biggest one’
When I first met Caryl Phillips, it was at an event for the David Oluwale Memorial Association in February 2016 hosted by the School of English. The writer, as he has constantly since moving there […]
Process by Sampha
The death of a loved one is often described as a dream-like experience and Process, an album inspired by the death of Sampha’s mother in 2015, entirely embodies this. An ethereal feel circulates through the […]
Barack Obama: the Pop Culture President
Adored by many for the freshness and modernity he has breathed into American politics, Barack Obama may not be remembered for his concrete policies, but rather as one of the greatest pop culture icons in […]
Review: The Get Down
Created by Baz Luhrmann, music co-produced by East Coast hip-hop golden child, Nas, and costing $120 million to produce, The Get Down is a melting pot with all the right ingredients to rival Stranger Things […]
“You know you that bitch when you cause all this conversation.”
Jodie Yates takes a look at Beyoncé’s powerful new visual album Lemonade. It is a truth universally acknowledged that Beyoncé is a goddess. Lemonade’s narrative of sexual, racial and feminine liberation is a political […]
Cruel Britannia: Remembering Oluwale
An artistic insight into racism, police brutality and mental health, ‘Oluwale Now’ is a daylong event celebrating the life and death of David Oluwale, a victim of terror at the hands of Leeds City Police. […]
Discobituary: A tribute to Maurice White
With 2016 becoming a unforgiving, musical black hole, consuming some of the most visually and sonically mind-altering stars to emerge from the 20th century, we pay homage to rhinestone-adorned, hip-bending, groove-creating frontman of the genre-defying […]