Raised in Tottenham, North London, Zena Edwards has become known as one the most unique voices of performance poetry to come out of London, was nominated for the Arts Foundation Award for Performance Poetry 2007 and won the Hidden Creatives Award 2012.
Zena has been involved in performance for 20 years – as a writer/poet performer, facilitator, creative project developer and vocalist after graduating from Middlesex University. She recently studied at The London International School for Performing Arts.
She has written and performed two one woman shows “Security” – 2009 and “Travelling Light” – 2011 with a strong self devised education packages, which toured nationally and internationally with quality reviews and critical acclaim.
“Edwards is a superb performer, equally at ease as an elderly Caribbean man, as a would-be teenage MC, Ayleen, or as a lonely 47-year-old Palestinian photographer, Mahmoud.” – Lyn Gardner, The Guardian
“Edwards’ one woman show ‘Security’ is an absolute tour de force about
humanity that bonds us all” – Annemarie Kropf
“As a performer and writer, Zena Edwards takes storytelling
into the twenty-first century.” – Pure Poetry
As a poet, Zena has travelled extensively round the UK, the US, Africa and Europe supported by the British Council, UK Arts International, Apples and Snakes Poetry Organisation and 57 Productions. She has shared the stage and anthologies with some of her most admired predecessors Linton Kwesi Johnson, Sonia Sanchez, Lemn Sissay, Jean Binta Breezeand Roger McGough.
She performs regularly for prestigious independent promoters as well as established venues such as the the Royal Festival Hall. Click to review her recent poetry performances.
Zena is also Creative Director of ©ViD an umbrella creative arts and activism company, and is curator of Conversations TV, an explorative poetry, film and animation blog.