Run Softly

The river flows through London’s literary history as it flows through the city’s life. Run Softly is an outdoor promenade of spoken word pieces re-imagining texts inspired by the Thames. After last year’s acclaimed performances, Run Softly returns with a more diverse chorus of voices and a stronger message on the river’s environmental threats.

Take a trip down the river’s literary history, starting at the source with Old English poetry, all the way to the vast ocean of contemporary literature. The work visits canonical classics, but also works to uncover writers whose voices have been marginalised, the people who have often been forgotten throughout history.

Witness how human habitation over time has shaped the city’s water landscape as you walk along its very banks, and learn about the pollution and climate crisis threatening its future.

Join emerging writers and performers Izzy Inkpen, Sumner Brook, Sharlene Gandhi, Jamal Hassan, and Arno van Zelst for a unique exploration of marginalised history and a sustainable future.

Run Softly 2018:

- “its one of a kind and a must see”

- “Excellent; making the familiar new”

- “Really thoughtful, social, democratic, stimulating”

Meeting Point/Venue

Pass under Southwark Bridge; opposite end to Zizzis, at the beginning of the engraved poem.

Delivered in partnership with CAMELLIA