Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware Kae Tempest
Apr 15, 2026
Kae Tempest, poet, playwright, musician and novelist, discusses their new novel Having Spent a Life Seeking. They talk about growing up in Lewisham, crafting characters like Rothko, performing the audiobook, and balancing ritual, family meals and queer trans identity. Conversation also ranges from music influences and stage craft to cooking scallops and nostalgic flavours.
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Write What You Can't Bear To Admit
- Write toward the wound: Kae repeats the maxim 'write what you can't bear to admit' as a creative strategy to reach transformative material.
- He credits Ian Rickson (via Ted Hughes) for this guiding slogan during the novel's creation.
Learn Craft By Immersing In Unfamiliar Music Scenes
- Immerse yourself in unfamiliar scenes to learn craft: Kae worked in a Lewisham record shop selling dancehall, R&B, and hip hop to absorb delivery and lyricism.
- Listening to fans talk about records became his 'way in' to new musical languages.
Blended Family Dinners Shaped Food Memories
- Kae grew up in a blended Lewisham family as the youngest of five and remembers big family dinners as the best times.
- His dad cooked elaborate roasts and whole fish, and food later became central to their family gatherings.
