Southbank's Inside Out returns with Hawke, Skin and Leilani

The Southbank Centre is launching a second Inside Out series of arts events, featuring the T S Eliot Prize and appearances from Ethan Hawke, Skin and Raven Leilani (pictured).

Running from 24th January to 28th March, the festival will feature a host of livestreamed events from the worlds of literature, spoken word and music.

It starts with the T S Eliot Prize on 24th January, hosted by Ian McMillan. Before the announcement of this year's winner, the pre-recorded event will feature readings from shortlisted poets Sasha Dugdale, Natalie Diaz, Ella Frears, Will Harris, Bhanu Kapil, Wayne Holloway-Smith, Daisy Lafarge, Glyn Maxwell, Shane McCrae and J O Morgan.

Elsewhere on the bill, Fearne Cotton speaks about "finding your voice" on 4th Febuary, to promote her new title Speak Your Truth (Orion Spring). Drawing on the book, this event delves into the ways people learn to stay quiet for the wrong reasons.

A Night In With Ethan Hawke on 8th February celebrates the release of his new novel A Bright Ray of Darkness (Cornerstone), a novel “full of rage, sex, longing and despair”. It promises insight into his world, not only as a novelist but also as an actor, writer and director for stage and screen.

American novelist Leilani is in conversation with British author Diana Evans on 25th February about her debut work Luster (Picador), hailed as “a taut, sharp, funny book about being young now” by Zadie Smith.

Lead singer of rock bank Skunk Anansie, Skin, celebrates her memoir on 4th March ahead of her appearance at Grace Jones’ Meltdown festival at the Southbank Centre in June. Her book It Takes Blood and Guts (S&S) tells the story of how a gay, Black, working-class woman with a vision fought poverty and prejudice to write songs, produce, front her own band and become one of the most influential women in British rock.

Poet and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib introduces his new book of essays on Black performance in a special broadcast event on 25th March. A Little Devil in America (Allen Lane) explores a field that ranges from tap dancing to punk, backing singers to TV hopefuls, through sport, sitcoms, fashion and space travel.

The festival ends with Out-Spoken, the Southbank Centre’s resident poetry night, for a pre-recorded online show, shining a light on the cream of UK writing talent on 28th March. The evening celebrates the best in UK poetry hosted by Joelle Taylor, with Sam “Junior” Bromfield spinning the best in reggae, soul and R&B throughout the evening.

Ted Hodgkinson, head of literature and spoken word at the centre, said: “We’re bringing in the new year with a series of virtual events to lift the spirits, induce gales of laughter and make us see the world anew. Featuring some of the brightest and funniest literary talents around, beloved personalities and bold artists with extraordinary stories to tell, this is a programme that promises to replenish our sense of wonder. Opening and closing with poetry—from the exceptional T S Eliot Prize shortlist to a stellar digital edition Out-Spoken respectively—we’re bookending the series with electrifying performances to get the year off to a scintillating start.”

For the full line-up, visit the centre's website.