Beat poetry for a new generation

Following the events of September 11, Nuyorican Poets Café founder Bob Holman wrote: 'Don't Withdraw. Use Words'.

LIPS - the first London International Poetry And Song Festival - might not have been organised in light of recent atrocities, but Holman's sentiment will be behind every sound made this weekend, both at Hackney and at the separate Apples And Snakes event in Battersea.

LIPS is consciously shaped in the Beat tradition, with David Amram - who introduced jazz poetry to New York with Jack Kerouac in 1957 - at its nerve centre. Following a free launch on Friday (7pm, Trafalgar Hotel, Trafalgar Square W1. Tel: 020 7870 2900), he'll be sharing the stage with a cross-cultural collection of contemporary beat poets on Saturday, including Sugarcubes' founder Bragi Olaffson, Ron Whitehead, Bob Holman and British poet Richard Deakin, with comedy from Jeremy Hardy and readings from The Arlenes (7pm, £8.50 adv, £10 door, £6 concs, £15 double ticket).

The weekend finishes with rap from the Bap Kennedy Band, and Larry Love and Reverend D Wayne Love from Alabama 3 (7pm, Ocean, Mare Street E8, £8.50 adv. Tel: 020 8533 0111).

Meanwhile, Apples And Snakes's Brothatalk - in celebration of Black History Month - features hip-hop artist Ty, Philadelphia DJ Rich Medina, London author Diran Adebayo and rapper Crisis. It's part of their ongoing Friday night slam sessions at the BAC Hive Café, and is a great companion piece to LIPS. Poetry still matters, as much now as it ever did. Claire Allfree

LIPS: Fri until Sun, Bullion Room Theatre, Hackney Empire, 117 Wilton Way E8, various times, dates and prices. Tel: 020 8985 2424.
Rail: Hackney Central Brothatalk: Friday, BAC, 176 Lavender Hill SW11, 9pm, £4.75. Tel: 020 7223 2223.
Rail: Clapham Junction