Tom’s reflections on Voices from Prison

Our annual showcase of Koestler Award-winning music and writing, Voices from Prison, was held at Riverside Studios in West London on 11 March, 2026.

The event was hosted by Lady Unchained, a poet, mentor, broadcaster, and editor of the fifth volume of our poetry anthology, Koestler Voices: New Poetry from Prisons. Four writers with experience of the criminal justice system performed poems from this volume, as well as their own work. One of the writers, Tom, shared his reflections on the evening.

Never in my wildest dreams, whilst sitting in a cell, did I think I would end up performing at the famous Riverside Studios in Hammersmith! Two and half years on from that dreaded first night, Koestler made it happen. I didn’t start writing poetry or spoken word until I went to prison. There are a lot of creative people locked away behind bars, and I think being around them inspired me to find my own voice. This ended up with me not only speaking my own poetry on stage but having the privilege to share poems by three other poets, who couldn’t be there themselves.

The night started by turning up early for a little run through with the Koestler staff and the host Lady Unchained. This was a great opportunity to meet everyone, including the three other performers. I think we were all a little bit nervous but excited at the same time. Sometimes it’s hard to differentiate between the two feelings.

Before we knew it, it was showtime!!!

The first to grace the stage was the incredible Lady Unchained. With her charismatic way she made the audience laugh and put us performers at ease. She explained to the audience why events like Voices from Prison are so important, speaking up for those who feel like they have no voice. She then performed a few poems from her book Behind Bars, one of which was a highlight of the evening for me, when she recited from memory Road to Victory. Powerful words!

Each performer had their own style, whether it was a poem about being a book thief, being lifted off, or missing proper food. We all picked poetry that stood out to us from the latest Koestler collection. These poems are being read, performed and heard by a bigger audience now. The event was sold out. This amplifies the voices of the people who feel like they have none and shows that people do want to hear what we have got to say!!!

Having events like this, I really do hope that encourages people in the criminal justice system to carry on writing and sending in their work to Koestler, because you never know where it might take you.