Neelam Saredia-Brayley

Neelam Saredia-Brayley is an award-winning poet who has been captivating audiences for the past 7 years. Effortlessly warm and honest, Neelam writes her way into light and strength; taking the audience with her on a journey towards hope. She reminds you there is still good in the world, and that little moments are precious stones you can build towards something powerful. Neelam works with illustrators, musicians and contemporary dancers to create multi-disciplinary pieces that are completely unique to Kent’s poetry scene. As well as appearing on BBC Radio Kent and CSRfm, she was the winner of 2017’s Full English Festival Slam and 2019’s Marlowe Mini-Slam, and was the resident feature poet for Eleto Chocolate Café in Canterbury. She headlines numerous events including Apples and Snakes’ 451 City gig in Southampton alongside Birdspeed and Yomi Sode, and was a feature at Greenbelt Festival’s poets showcase with Harry Baker. Neelam has appeared at Jawdance, TongueTANGLE, Margate Literary Festival, bOing! International Family Festival, Canterbury Festival, Marlowe Theatre, Ramsgate Music Hall, ERIC Festival, POW! Festival, Turner Contemporary, and regularly performs and works with Gulbenkian. In 2019 she was awarded Arts Council funding to develop her first spoken word poetry show; Queer Brown Skin. Neelam reaches out to the daughters of immigrants; to mothers who stay; to girls who love girls; to girls who sing hurricanes away. 'utterly compelling...her poetry is emotive and humorous, full of rhythmic and tonal surprises. She is one to watch.' - Lydia McCutcheon, Canterbury Culture ‘her work is always striking, thoughtful, innovative and plural.’ – Joelle Taylor, Poet, Playwright, Author & Founder of SLAMbassadors.