British politician to discuss the state of the world with Nigerian novelist Ben Okri

Nigerian novelist Ben Okri to discuss politics, the state of the world and the potential for positive change with British Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The discussion with the Booker prize-winning author is scheduled to hold today 15th of July 2016 at the Royal Festival Hall.

Organised by 5x15, in association with the Southbank Centre, the event is pitched as “an unforgettable evening, an inspiring and invigorating meeting of minds”.

“United by a desire to make our world a kinder, fairer place, [Corbyn and Okri] will discuss the forces that have made them what they are, the state of the world today and their belief that we can transform ourselves for the better,” said organisers.

Okri told the Guardian UK that Corbyn “was something very rare in politics, a man with a quest for integrity and truth” and that he was looking forward to “a bloody good conversation” with the politician on Friday.

Late last year, Corbyn described Okri as “a great Nigerian writer” in his acceptance speech after being elected leader of the Labour party in September last year, citing Okri’s comment that “the most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love”.

Pleased and touched to be mentioned by a politician, Ben Okri pens a powerful response by writing 'A New Dream of Politics' poem praising Corbyn.

He also told the Guardian UK at the time that “It’s a brave thing for a politician these days to admit to reading contemporary writers. But we need politicians who read widely, who read the classics, the masters, but who also read contemporary writers, who read across colour, across race, across class. If we don’t have politicians who read widely, how can we ever get to a new politics?”

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