As part of WoWFest26: New World Disorder, join legendary poet and activist Linton Kwesi Johnson for Desert Island Dissent — a powerful in-conversation event exploring art as a force for resistance.

In this special event,  Johnson will consider the music, poetry and political works that have most profoundly shaped his life and activism. Drawing on his experiences of 1970s Britain, the rise of the National Front and the cultural resistance that followed, he will reflect on the moments that forged his voice and defined decades of struggle.

From dub poetry to political literature, the evening will explore the enduring power of creative expression to confront injustice, challenge dominant narratives and inspire collective action. At a time when old ideologies are resurfacing and reactionary politics are gaining ground, Johnson’s perspective offers a vital reminder that culture can provoke change — and that resistance has its own soundtrack.

An evening of reflection, performance and urgent conversation with one of the most influential political voices of our time.

Linton Kwesi Johnson

The award-winning reggae poet and political activist was born in Jamaican 1952 before moving to London in 1963. He studied at Goldsmiths College, was a member of the Black Panthers and was poetry editor of Race Today, introducing new voices to the British public, including Michael Smith and Oku Onuora. In 1974, the Race Today Collective published Linton’s first poetry book, Voices of the Living and the Dead.  In 2002 he became only the second living poet and the first black poet to have his work included in Penguin’s Modern Classics series, under the title Mi Revalueshanary Fren. Penguin continue to publish him, now in their Selected Poems series.  Linton’s first album Dread Beat An Blood was released in 1978. Since then, he has released fourteen albums made with long-time collaborator and producer, Dennis Bovell, and has been running his own record label, LKJ Records, since 1981. He is also a Trustee of the George Padmore Institute and Chair of 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning.

Photo Credit: Danny Da Costa

Writing on the Wall Festival

As Liverpool’s longest-running writing and literary festival, WoWFEST has always held fast to the belief that words do not simply describe the world – they reshape it. In a moment marked by democratic backsliding, spiralling inequality, algorithmic manipulation and the renewed swagger of authoritarianism, WoWFEST26: New World Disorder confronts the forces fracturing our common ground: the rise of AI without accountability, the mainstreaming of far-right ideologies, the weaponisation of disinformation, escalating global conflict and an economic order rigged in favour of the ultra-wealthy.