Linton Kwesi Johnson was the first Black poet I ever heard of that had an office. Not like how a professor (who may happen to be a poet) gets an office—but I actually remember seeing some interview years ago with Mr. Johnson explaining how his day in his office went. He described a meticulous schedule—a daily routine that included reading the newspaper. I was deeply impressed and very certain that all of that office work helped to inform his poetry. We are here to report that his work does very well—all over the world.
Here is some guy in Sweden writing about Linton Kwesi Johnson: “Linton Kwesi Johnson has been made an Associate Fellow of Warwick University (1985), an Honorary Fellow of Wolverhampton Polytechnic (1987) and received an award at the XIII Premo Internazionale Ultimo Novecento from the city of Pisa for his contribution to poetry and popular music (1990). In 1998 he was awarded the Premio Piero Ciampi Citta di Livorno Concorso Musicale Nazionale in Italy. In 2003 Johnson was bestowed with an honorary fellowship from his alma mater, Goldsmiths College. In 2004 he became an Honorary Visiting Professor of Middlesex University in London. In 2005 Linton Kwesi Johnson was awarded a silver Musgrave medal from the Institute of Jamaica for distinguished eminence in the field of poetry. He has toured the world from Japan to the new South Africa, from Europe to Brazil. His recordings are amongst the top-selling reggae albums in the world and his work has been translated into Italian and German. Unsurprisingly, he is known and revered as the world's first reggae poet.”
We celebrate Linton Kwesi Johnson through the fleeting rebelliousness of YouTube.com. People from Greece, the UK, France and Sweden bring selections from his live performances. These include “Inglan Is a Bitch,” “Di Black Petty Booshwah” and “Sonny´s Lettah.”
“Inglan Is a Bitch” from . . . . . . . selassie73 (Greece)
“It Dread Inna Inglan” from . . . . . . . bwoyrough (UK)
“Di Black Petty Booshwah (dem full of flaw! )” from . . . . . . . cazupa (Sweden)
“More Time” and “Sonny´s Lettah” from . . . . . . . frenchiefries (France)
Linton Kwesi Johnson at Marxism Festival 2008 from . . . . . . . adycousins (UK)
Interaction Design by . . . . . . . Bryan Wilhite