George Mpanga, better known as George the Poet, is an award winning podcaster, spoken word artist and cultural critic. George first gained prominence as part of a new generation of spoken word artists challenging the traditionalism of poetry recital.
George was involved in the UK music scene from a young age, gaining local notoriety in the hip hop scene whilst still at school. After studying Politics, Psychology and Sociology at Cambridge, George decided to redirect his passion for verse to spoken word poetry, where he felt he could communicate more effectively with his audience. Having been an advocate for the arts throughout his career, George was elected in 2018 as a Member of the National Council of Arts Council England.
As well as using his poetry to address cultural and political issues, George has recently brought attention to his podcast ‘Have You Heard George's Podcast?‘. The podcast discusses diverse issues including Grenfell Tower, contemporary Ugandan Politics and the modern slave trade in a style that blends fiction, documentary and autobiography. In May last year the podcast won five British Podcast Awards, including podcast of the year, and was nominated across six categories.
“If you're in any way interested in the future of the world you've invested in, go see this inspirational man who seems to genuinely have the power to influence and bring people together” Edinburgh Fringe