Apples and Snakes: The Podcast

Internationally acclaimed award-winning artist, best-selling author and performance poet - Sophia Thakur shines in this live recorded episode of the Apples and Snakes Podcast. Sophia has performed shows all over the world and tickets are always in high demand, usually selling-out within hours of going on sale. Her debut poetry book ‘Somebody Give This Heart a Pen’ became a #1 Bestseller and is included in many school curriculums. Recorded at Mason and Fifth, Yomi sits with Sophia to talk what it means to live as a poet — on and off the stage. Sophia reflects on her earliest entry points into spoken word (from Def Poetry Jam to her first performances), why certain rooms and circuits build muscle, and how her performance style evolved to an intimate, soft-power delivery. She shares her poem ‘Affirmation’, unpacking how self-affirmation, faith, and emotional honesty shape her writing process and why some pieces arrive as a “plea to myself.” The episode closes with a powerful performance video choice of Daniel Beaty’s ‘Knock Knock’, plus an honest look at poetry’s commercial possibilities and creative integrity.

Suli Breaks exudes confidence and knows how to captivate an audience.His TEDxHousesofParliament speech, viewed over 300,000 times, showcases his ability to captivate audiences with his words. His reputation as a powerful speaker has led to invitations to prestigious events such as the United Nations National Commonwealth Day. In this episode, Suli shares his journey from university open mic to the international stage. His chosen poem touches on fatherhood and fulfilment, and the fine balance of art with business. With Yomi, they watch RADI’s ‘I’ve Loved Man’ - an electrifying and honest piece on love and betrayal.

Word. Power. Sound. These are the connotations synonymous with El Crisis. Known for his fusion of rap, chant, gospel, song and storytelling, El Crisis has been described as a “modern day Griot and Bard” and has a substantial catalogue of works that spans over 67 pieces. In this episode, the conversation takes an analytical look at how community and music build the voice. He shares his poem ‘Free man’ and together they discuss performance as a form of ancestral connection, staying present in the moment, and the tension between giving to the scene and receiving recognition in return.

Reece Williams is a Mancunian poet of Jamaican and Trinidadian heritage whose debut collection ‘This Kind of Black’ was released this year. He has performed internationally and is celebrated for his works that speak as much in performance as they do on page. He often wrestles with being British, ideas surrounding identity and intergenerational trauma, and the burden placed on young, Black men. With Yomi, they watch Keisha Thompson’s performance of ‘Algebra’ - a title whose metaphor is for “the reunion of broken things” - a way to piece together what has been distorted, neglected, or made invisible.

In a previous Apples and Snakes’s blogs, Keith Jarrett wrote “I got into performance poetry by accident – and it’s probably the best accident I’ve had”. Since then, he produced his collection ‘Selah’ and poetry pamphlet’ I Speak Home’. His writing regularly explores race, faith, sexuality and belonging. With sharp wit and intelligence, Jarrett is a magnetic performer, and equal parts preacher and poet. Jarrett performs ‘El Pueblo’ and chooses Kareem Parkins-Brown’s ‘Did you Pack Your own bags’ for discussion. This piece draws from the Cambridge Analytica scandal, asking the audience to consider how much of us is truly private when our data, memories, and “selves” are stored, mined, and easily manipulated

Young artist, member of Roundhouse Poetry Collective and Hippodrome Origins, Zakariye Abdillahi talks with Yomi about being present and patient within poetry. His works often touch on the overlaps between masculinity, faith, and building a career in poetry at your own pace. His gentleness is evident in his soft voice on stage, used with intention. Within this episode, Zakayrie shares his poem ‘Chat to a Man’ and together they watch Polarbear’s (Stephen Camden) ‘Jessica’ - a popular poem that shows the vulnerable side of a young man falling in love and facing adult responsibilities.

Her poems are gritty and fierce, and she is a bold and fearless author, memoirist, broadcaster and poet of Jamaican-Irish heritage. Salena Godden and Yomi get to grips in an intimate conversation around the duality of the artist - from writing monster to gigging monster, and the solitude of creation against the performance on stage. She performs her poem ‘Our Anarchy’ - a poem that asks us feel deeply, resist, and reassemble what’s been broken. This episode explores the emotional cost of creativity and the challenge of writing from a place of grief and rage. Together, they watch Maya Angelou’s ‘We Wear the Mask’, a piece about how something simple, like a smile, can hide so much pain and fear in the face of oppression.

Filmmaker, poet and writer for all ages, award-winning Dean Atta is also a member of Malika’s Poetry Kitchen and a patron of LGBT+ History Month. He encourages writers to lean all the way into topics they love, no matter how small or niche. His works are celebrated for tackling themes of racism and self-acceptance. He’s the author of the poetry collection ‘There Is (Still) Love Here’ and the YA verse novels ‘The Black Flamingo’ (which won the Stonewall Book Award) and ‘Only on the Weekends’. Dean performs ‘An Ode to My Black Queer Body’ and together they watch John Agard’s famous and defiant performance of ‘Half Caste’ where he challenges prejudice, celebrates the richness of mixed heritage and reclaims it as a badge of honour.

Kareem Parkins Brown joins Yomi and together they share how humour, grief and real life have influenced his writing. Kareem’s work often touches on nostalgia and friendship, with surrealism playing a major role in his existential poetry talk show. He performs his poem ‘What I’ve Learned (after Aja Monet), a poem that looks at memory and social commentary. They watch Joshua Bennett’s ‘16 Bars for Kendrick Lamar’, a homage piece to one of contemporary hip-hop’s most celebrated voices. A piece that mirrors the standard length for a verse in rap, aligning poetry precision with the culture of rap.

Apples and Snakes: The Podcast is hosted by Yomi Sode with Sound production by Drew Horley.