Zakariye
Photo by Neal Kemsley
Birmingham based poet, playwright and filmmaker
His short poetry film ‘Cages’ was broadcast on BBC 4 and BBC iPlayer. Zakariye later went on to win the audience vote at the 2023 Roundhouse Poetry Slam final, cementing his place as a voice to watch. He is now a Roundhouse Resident Artist and a member of Birmingham Hippodrome Origins working on a brand new play, also titled ‘Cages’ that dives into the complexities of friendship, youth and navigating the challenges of growing up in the ends.
Zakariye’s debut poetry pamphlet, Pulling Faces, will be published by Bad Betty Press in November 2025.
Performances
Zakariye began his creative journey in performance poetry. There was a point in time where you’d rarely find an open mic night without his name scribbled on the sign up sheet.
After cementing himself in the Birmingham poetry scene, Zakariye has gone on to do more than just annoying hosts. He is venturing into theatre with a focus on poetry, visually showcasing poetry through short films, collaborating with more artists and creative mediums and championing new writers by facilitating workshops.
Photo by Paul Stringer
Upcoming events
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Careers in writing - WMM
Sat 8 November ‘25
12:00 - 15:30Birmingham City University
15 Bartholomew Row
Birmingham
B5 5JU -
Bradley Taylor + friends
Thurs 20 November ‘25
19:00 - 21:00The Night Owl,
17-18 Lower Trinity Street
Deritend
B9 4AG -
Bad Betty Live x Poetry Club
Fri 28 November ‘25
19:00 - 21:00LCB Depot
31 Rutland St
Leicester
LE1 1RE -
Everything poetry night
Monday 1st December
19:00 - 21:30The Walrus
172 Westminster Bridge Road
London
SE1 7RW
Testimonials
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Casey Bailey
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"I'm just the marketing person, I don't do testimonials"
Punch Records
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"He performed here once and shelled it"
Westminster Abbey
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“I mean he's okay if you ignore most of what he says"
Cecilia Knapp
get in touch
Reach out if you want to work together, inquire about a performance/workshop or if you want to make a (nice) comment on my work