A crammed basement at the Poetry Café in Covent Garden for an open-mic session under the auspices of Survivors' Poetry, which promotes writing by survivors of mental distress (www.survivorspoetry.com).

He was elected deputy chair of The Poetry Society (UK) and co-founded The Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden.

The African Writers' Evening is the first regular evening held for African writers at the UK's celebrated Poetry Cafe.

It was started in 2003 by Nii Ayikwei Parkes in consultation with the Directors of the Poetry Society after he completed a residency at the Poetry Café.

In 2001 together with Linzy Forbes, she received a Porirua City Council Civic Honour Award for co-founding and running Poetry Cafe.

He is currently a writer-in-residence for the charity First Story and runs the African Writers' Evening series at the Poetry Cafe, in Covent Garden.

The Poetry Cafe at 7:30 p.m. on June 11 will feature poets from Dwight Morrow High School, not just Dwight Englewood High School.

C Map Covent Garden's Poetry Café is a favourite for lovers of verse.

The piece has been performed several times between 2000 and 2006, at venues including The Poetry Café and the George Bernard Shaw Theatre, RADA.

In March 2006 he invited by Poetry Cafe in London to recite a poem.