BORN::FREE is a literary arts organisation founded in 2014 for established, young + emerging writers of all narratives, with a special interest in African/Afro-diasporic + experimental writing. A focus on careful curation, craft, and critique, BORN::FREE’s work spans live and digital events, education work, broadcast radio and print.

BORN::FREE has run regular events at the intersection of live music + performance poetry, and has provided writing workshop facilitation services and consultancy to arts institutions, schools and youth programs.

Highlights over the last eight years include:

• a partnership with the British Council to facilitate a writer exchange with South African poets in cities both in the UK and South Africa;

• presenting one-off events with renounced arts institutions like the ICA, Southbank Centre, Roundhouse and the V&A;

• curating Veranda, London's leading poetry jam centring Black writers, with residencies at east London bookshop Libreria and Village Underground’s EartH Kitchen;

• being commissioned to produce events and workshops at festivals including Deptford Literary Festival, SKFEST and Brainchild.

BORN::FREE was co-founded by writer + filmmaker Chima::Nsoedo and writer + sound artist Belinda::Zhawi in 2014, and is currently co-led by Belinda alongside writer + theatre-maker malakaï::sargeant who joined in 2019.