Inua Ellams was commissioned by Manchester Literature Festival and Manchester Museum, The University of Manchester to write a new series of poems responding to a Tusk from Benin in Manchester’s Museum’s collection. The Tusk was part of the loot taken by British soldiers during the bloody 1897 punitive expedition during which Oba Ovonramwen was exiled and Benin City was destroyed. Inua performed his Commission in the Living Worlds Gallery at Manchester Museum on Friday 15 November 2019 as part of the 2019 Manchester Literature Festival.
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Copyright © Inua Ellams (words) Jon Parker Lee (photography) 2019
Manchester Literature Festival would like to thank Esme Ward, Stephen Welsh, Manchester Museum, Arts Council England and Manchester City Council for their generous support.