Kate Tempest
The most unlikely of hip hop stars is back to unpack her debut novel for Sydney Writers' Festival.
Overview
Like many a great singer-songwriter before her (cue Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits), Kate Tempest began as a dealer in words. In 2013, she became the first ever person under 40 to win the Ted Hughes Award for innovation in poetry. In 2014, she attracted a Mercury Prize nomination for her hip hop-driven debut album, Everybody Down. Now she's published her debut novel, The Bricks that Built the Houses, so she's back for her second visit to Sydney Writers' Festival — opening the whole festival, in fact.
Billy Bragg loves her. Chuck D is a fan. She was one of Sydney Festival 2016's biggest hypecards. Check out her fresh, authentic freestyling for yourself.
Kate Tempest will open Sydney Writers' Festival on May 17, discuss her novel on May 21 and at the SWF Gala: The Book that Saved Me panel on May 20.