Jean Akintoye

Hailing from Dalston, Hackney, Jean Akintoye is a London-based performance poet, visual artist and multidisciplinary layabout. He studied the International Baccalaureate at UWC Atlantic College, survived a bachelor's degree in English Literature, and is now undertaking an MA in creative writing at UEA. 

Stylistically, Jean aims to strike a balance between the stylistic flourishes one would expect from 20th century Irish poetry (see also W.B. Yeats, Seamus Heaney), the far more disruptive overtones of modern spoken word and, occasionally, a dash of comedy. This results in a style that is as elegant as it is messy, frenetic yet precise, creating a bridge between the “old” and the “new”. His work has seen print in The Looking Glass Anthology (ed.13 and 14), The Nouse, The Resonance Anthology (2025), The Never Press and Pen to Print’s Write On! Showcases. He has been a feature and headline performer at POW! Play on Words and Chingford Village Festival, Survivor’s Open Mic at King’s Cross and more recently, Tooting Library’s dedicated poetry nights. Occasionally, his poetry features original artwork, which has been exhibited regularly at The Candid Arts Trust. 

Jean Akintoye can be found @arbitrary__human on Instagram. His work can be read @linktr.ee/jeanakintoye.