Jason Reynolds and Jordan Stephens In-conversation

Jason Reynolds is a multi-award-winning writer and poet. He has been a Number 1 New York Times Bestselling Author many times and he was US National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. He has won almost every major award in the US and the UK, including the Indie Book Awards, the Yoto Carnegie Medal, the Kirkus Prize, the Edgar Award, the Walter Dean Myers Award and the NAACP Image Award. He is a Newbery, Printz and 5-time Coretta Scott King Honoree. He wrote Long Way Down, All American Boys, Oxygen Mask, the Run series, amongst others. His books have sold over 9 million copies worldwide.

Jordan Stephens is a creative, musician, writer and performer, perhaps best known as one half the chart-topping duo, Rizzle Kicks who have recently made a come back after a 9-year hiatus. Jordan is also an accomplished actor, with television credits including The Ex-Wife, Starstruck and Catastrophe and films including Teen Spirit and Stars Wars: Rogue One. He also hosted ITV2 Don’t Hate The Playaz for four series.

Having spoken publicly about his struggles with mental health, Jordan has been very active in raising awareness around the stigma. His mental health campaign #IAMWHOLE reached over 120 million people online and was mentioned in the Houses of Parliament. Jordan endeavours to express himself through many different forms of art. He published his first children’s book, The Missing Piece, a self-influenced story about joy and connection. And last year he published his first adult book, Avoidance, Drugs, Heartbreak and Dogs, a personal story of self-acceptance, exploring masculinity, mental health, addiction and heartbreak. Jordan also wrote an article in The Guardian about the negative effects that Hyper-Masculinity has on men’s wellbeing and has spoken on this topic in a series of television and festival appearances.