On this episode of This Thing Changed My Life, Rai is joined by poet and director Caleb Femi. They discuss literature, blackness, heartbreak, his debut poetry collection, POOR and the things that have changed his life including James Baldwin’s Another Country and Frank Ocean’s Nostalgia Ultra.

Books: 

This is how you lose her - Junot Diaz

Guillotine: Poems - Eduardo C. Corral, 

Giovanni’s Room - James Baldwin

Just Us: An American Conversation - Claudia Rankine

Poor is out now! 

Thank you for joining us for this first season, we will be back in the new year with more conversations featuring incredible artists and creators. 

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In this episode I sit with Alex Wheatle to talk about the things that changed his life and his latest YA novel, Cane Warriors. 

We talk artistic activism in music and writing, Bob Marley, C.L.R James's The Black Jacobins, rebellious art, cycles of revolution and Steve McQueen’s Small Acts!

On this weeks episode, we find out what changed Author Sareeta Domingo's life. We also discuss her new romantic novel, IF I DON'T HAVE YOU!

Boy Parts – Eliza Clark

Prince

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot

Beloved, Toni Morrison

Love Jones

On this weeks episode Rai speaks to poet Rachel Long on her debut poetry collection - My Darling from the Lions. 

To Kill a Mockingbird, W.B Yeats and Elaine Castillo also make the discussion on this weeks poetry bonanza. 

Back with another Pre-Covid Conversation with Abe (The Legend) - an award winning writer and director who won Best Narrative short at Tribeca 2020 and Founder of Creative Blue Balls. 

We talk Kanye West, The Matrix, his favourite bible verses, his journey as a writer and accidental director. Catch a wonderful moment with Abe announcing that his short film, No More Wings, has been selected to world premier at Tribeca Film Festival (before going on to win of course). 

Catch Abraham on @AbeIsLegend on socials!

It's two black muslim women on a pod for this weeks episode as we are joined by the phenomenal Yassmin Abdel-magied! We discuss the interesting text that changed her life, her novel You Must Be Layla, being a black muslim woman and life relections. 

On this week’s episode we have another pre-covid conversation with Publisher Aimee Felone. We talk the book and music that changed her life, the internal eczema and itch of possibility with going after your dreams. We talk Yoga, being Black in books, KnightsOf, Jason Reynolds, Surviving or Thriving? 

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Instagram: @ThisThingChangedMyLife

This week, Rai has a pre-covid conversation with American novelist Kiley Reid. They talk her debut novel, Such a Fun Age, friendship and social mobility.

Such a Fun Age follows the lives of Emira, a 25-year-old typist and babysitter who looks after Alix’s two-year-old daughter, Briar.

Twitter: @ThisThingPod

Instagram: @ThisThingChangedMyLife

#BlackLivesmatter

In this weeks episode Rai sits with Lawyer - Tolu - and discuss a text that has changed their lives - Freedom Is A Constant Struggle by Angela Davis, The Abolition of Prisons, Defunding the Police and the state of racial discrimination around the world amidst the backdrop of a pandemic. 

Instagram - @thisthingchangedmylife

Twitter - @thisthingpod

Our inaugural pre-covid19 episode sees Rai joined by the incredibly talented Inua Ellams, where we talk Tolkien, Terry Pratchett, Theatre, Saul Williams and more. There's a whole load of art in this one. 

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instagram - @thisthingchangedmylife

twitter - @thisthingpod