Telling Tales with Sandra A. Agard Hon FRSL

Sandra is lovingly known for her powerful performance driven work characteristically steeped in African Caribbean folklore, history, and oral traditions. Sandra will be in conversation with Ayshah Tull, an award-winning correspondent for Channel 4 News. They will explore Sandra’s self-discovery through the rise of Black political unrest during the 1980s, and how this has shaped her life, beliefs, and writing.

Sandra will take you through her early creative journey, from her imaginary headboard that became a boat to Africa, to 'The Sobbing Sounds' her first book as a child that featured an African character. Sandra will perform a selection of her poetry, tell a tale or two and will recite extracts from her recent book 'The Lion Keeper' which will be available on the day. Sandra's publication 'The Lion Keeper' will be available to purchase on the day (card payments only).

Sandra’s work can be found in Black Lives Matter: Poems for a New World (CivicLeicester, 2020), Poetry and Settled Status for All: An Anthology (CivicLeicester, 2022), and Unheard Voices edited by author Malorie Blackman. Sandra also co-edited Where We Find Ourselves: Poems and Stories of Maps and Mapping from UK Writers of the Global Majority (Arachne Press, 2021) with Laila Sumpton.

Known for her popular interactive stories for all ages, Sandra performs at key festivals in the UK and USA, archives, museums, and numerous community venues. She was a reader in residence for Medway prisons and has built a long association as a book doctor and development officer in libraries in London and the counties. Sandra is currently Learning Facilitator for Schools at the British Library. Her plays have been performed at the Royal Court, Lyric Hammersmith, Polka Theatre and The Drill Hall (now RADA Studios).

In 2022, Agard was elected as an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (RSL), and awarded the RSL's Benson Medal, which honors a whole career of service to literature.

Ayshah Tull presents and reports on the biggest stories of our time. Her BAFTA nominated news programme Black to Front, alongside Black colleagues who fronted and worked behind the scenes was described as ground-breaking. She’s been a journalist for over 10 years and started her on screen career presenting BBC Newsround.