Poetry and local Black history come together in a special evening celebrating the Caribbean pioneer gardeners whose contribution helped shape an important part of Nottinghamshire’s community heritage.
Presented as part of Inspire Poetry Festival 2026 and taking place on National Poetry Day, the event features Nottingham City of Literature’s Nature Poet Laureate Cara Thompson.
Thompson will perform live poetry, including new work, alongside stories celebrating members of the Windrush generation whose gardening knowledge, labour and community spirit contributed to the development of the historic Hungerhill Gardens.
The evening provides a distinctive way of approaching Black British history.
Rather than focusing only on nationally recognised political or cultural figures, it recognises ordinary members of the Caribbean community whose skills, traditions and commitment helped transform the places in which they settled.
Gardening can carry powerful connections with migration and memory. Plants, growing techniques and relationships with the land can preserve cultural knowledge and provide continuity between the Caribbean and Britain.
By combining those histories with contemporary poetry, the event demonstrates how creative writing can help recover local stories and ensure they are shared with new generations.
For Black History Month audiences, this is a particularly valuable Nottinghamshire event because it connects Windrush history directly with local heritage and community experience.
Cara Thompson: An Evening of Poetry and Heritage in Celebration of Caribbean Pioneer Gardeners takes place at Beeston Library on Thursday 1st October 2026 at 7:00pm.
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Cara Thompson: An Evening of Poetry and Heritage in Celebration of Caribbean Pioneer Gardeners
Poetry and local Black history come together in a special evening celebrating the Caribbean pioneer gardeners whose contribution…