A Tribute to Gil Scott-Heron

Canongate publisher Jamie Byng, poet Lemn Sissay, writer/poet Salena Godden (Under the Pier) and ex-Magazine and Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds bassist, film director and solo artist Barry Adamson celebrate the publication of Gil Scott-Heron’s memoirs, The Last Holiday, in this tribute to the American singer, poet and ‘Godfather of rap’. Gil made his name in the 1970s with his distinctive fusion of freewheeling soul jazz and biting polemic. Songs like The Bottle and the zeitgeist-nailing The Revolution Will Not Be Televised skewered the American dream and helped sow the seeds of social change. With live readings and screenings of rare and unseen footage, this special event captures the unique spirit of ‘one of America’s most rebellious and influential voices’ (The Guardian).