PHILO-SOPHY TALKS: YOUNG, GIFTED, GORM & GAELACH

PHILO-SOPHY TALKS: YOUNG, GIFTED, GORM & GAELACH

About the event

Emma Dabiri
Maureen Onwunali

Curated by Fachtna O’Ceallaigh 

This discussion featuring Dublin born writers Emma Dabiri and Maureen Onwunali takes its title and inspiration from the life of Philip Lynott, the young black Irishman who grew up in Crumlin, Dublin, and went on to conquer the world with his spirit, his soul, his music and poetry.

The best-selling author and broadcaster, Emma Dabiri, whose books include Don’t Touch My Hair, What Can White People Do Next and Disobedient Bodies, will be joined by Maureen Onwunali who self describes as 'a poet/performer/facilitator on a soapbox somewhere' and is also a UK two time national slam champion and resident artist at the Roundhouse in Camden Town, London.
 
They will discuss Philip and his impact as a black Irish artist across generations and the ways in which being Irish and black is reflected in their work and in how they see present day Irish society and culture. Emma will also read excerpts from Born To Be Blue, the book she is currently writing, while Maureen will perform a short selection of her acclaimed poetry.

Maureen Onwunali is a Dublin-born Nigerian poet and a two-time National Slam Champion living in Milton Keynes. Often writing from a place of political urgency, Onwunali utilizes poetry as a means for creative intervention, bridging sharp sociopolitical commentary with the small everyday acts of compassion that bring us back to our shared humanity. Notable features and commissions include Hay Festival, Ledbury Festival, Pearson, Roundhouse, TG4, The Poetry Society, The Irish Embassy, 1000 Black Interns, Milton Keynes International Festival, 
Obsidian Foundation and WOW – Women of the World. 

Emma Dabiri is a sought-after speaker, known for her insightful and thought-provoking discussions on race, gender, colonialism, and cultural issues. With a PhD in African Diaspora Studies and extensive experience as a lecturer, author, and television presenter, Dabiri brings a unique and informed perspective to these complex and important topics.  Born in Dublin to an Irish mother and a Nigerian Yoruba father, Emma Dabiri spent her early years in Atlanta, Georgia before returning to Ireland at the age of five. Her experiences growing up as the target of frequent racism informed her perspective and led her to pursue a career in African Studies. She studied African Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and has since established a successful academic and broadcast career.

Dabiri is well-known for her work in television, including co-presenting BBC Four’s ‘Britain’s Lost Masterpieces’, as well as Channel 4 documentaries such as “Is Love Racist?” and a radio show about Afrofuturism. In addition to her broadcast work, she is a frequent contributor to print and online media, including The Guardian, Irish Times, Dublin Inquirer, and Vice. Her outspokenness on issues of race and racism has caused her to face extreme “trollism” and racist abuse online, but she remains steadfast in her dedication to these important issues.
Dabiri is the author of two books, “Don’t Touch My Hair” (2019) and “What White People Can Do Next: From Allyship to Coalition” (2021).  She earned a PhD in Visual Sociology at Goldsmiths while also teaching at SOAS. Her Western Marxist critique of capitalism is central to her work, and she dedicates a chapter of “What White People Can Do Next” to the examination of “Interrogate Capitalism”.

Presented by Musictown 2026: A celebration of Philip Lynott
Produced by Foggy Notions

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