BIO
Luka Lesson is a poet, rapper and educator of Greek heritage born in Brisbane, Australia. His work crosses between the history of his family homeland, the fiercely political and the vulnerably self-reflective. A former Australian Poetry Slam Champion (2011), Luka has featured at the mecca for slam poetry: the Nuyorican Poet's Cafe (NYC) multiple times, performed with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and toured with respected UK rappers Akala & Lowkey. Luka has released three collections of poetry independently: The Future Ancients (2013), Antidote (2015) and Agapi & Other Kinds of Love (2022) and two poetic rap albums: Please Resist Me (2012) & EXIT (2014).
Luka's work has also been featured in publications such as Southern Sun: Aegean Light (2011, ASP), Poems From A Green And Blue Planet (2019, Hachette UK), and Solid Air (2019, UQP). Luka has been a poet-in-residence at the Scottish Poetry Library, appeared at the Edinburgh Literature Festival, Sydney Writers' Festival, Hong Kong Literature Festival, Ubud Writers' Festival and many more. Luka has also taken the stage with his band at festivals such as Splendour in the Grass (Byron Bay), 4E Hiphop Festival (Sydney) & OneBlood Festival (South Africa). Luka has always used poetry and rap writing workshops as a form of activism, helping young people to articulate and perform their work for the past 18 years in education centres worldwide, amplifying countless marginalised voices in the process. Luka's poems and rap verses are being studied on official school curriculums throughout Australia, and unofficially by rebellious educators worldwide.
Luka's latest project: Agapi & Other Kinds of Love is a multi-disciplinary project which consists of a live hip-hop theatre show, a verse novel and a studio album. Agapi premiered at the National Museum of Australia during their exhibition entitled Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors & Heroes, and has since toured the country, recieving rave reviews in the process.
In 2017, Luka began facilitating poetry retreats in his family homeland of Greece, these retreats have become his favourite ways to spend time with poets and to facilitate the powerful act of poetry.
PREVIOUS FESTIVALS
Bleach* Festival (AUS) | Edinburgh Literature Festival | Splendour In The Grass (AUS)
4ELEMENTS Hip-Hop Festival (AUS) | Wanderlust Festival (NZ) | Woodford Folk Festival (AUS)
One Blood Festival (South Africa) | Sydney Writers’ Festival | Auckland Writers Festival | Hong Kong Literature Festival
Red Dirt Poetry Festival | and more
PREVIOUS TOUR SUPPORTS
Nahko & Medicine For The People (USA) | Akala (UK)
Tiki Taane (NZ) | Dr Cornel West (USA) | Shane Koyczan (USA) | Lowkey (UK)
RECENT COMMISSIONS
La Boite Theatre & Bleach* Festival
‘Agapi & Other Kinds of Love’ (2019)
Institute of non-violence
'A Letter To My Daughter' & 'Stereo. Type.' (2021)
Queensland Symphony Orchestra
‘Macquarie’ Concerto (2018)
ALBUM RELEASES
Antidote (2015) | EXIT (2014) | Perasma / Passage (2013) | Please Resist Me (2012)
BOOK RELEASES
Agapi & Other Kinds of Love (2022) | Antidote (2015) | The Future Ancients (2013)
SUPPORT QUOTES
"Luka is a genuine artist of high quality whose poetry is powerful and poignant. I salute his prophetic witness!" - Dr Cornel West
"Luka Lesson is one of those people who changes the weather; who by his very presence makes the landscape seem more possible, more holy, more livable. I don’t know where he came from or how he got to be so magic. What I do know is that I am better for having experienced him. A better writer. A wider girl. More true of heart. Words make worlds. Luka knows this. His mouth is a creation story…and we are all better for it."
- Dominique Christina, National Poetry Slam Champion and two-time Women of the World Poetry Slam Champion (USA).
"Luka is the kind of poet other poets want to be. Other poets want to be honest."
- Shane Koyczan, Candian Poetry Slam Champion and performer of TED talk “To This Day”.
"I’m not really into hip hop—I’m too old, I guess—
but Luka Lesson is a sonic literary genius, and THAT is what I love.
So if he is hip hop, then I guess I love hip hop after all."
- Taylor Mali, former president of Poetry Slam, Inc. (USA).
