The solstice is a time of radiance and warmth, when evenings stretch long into the night and nature swells with colour and vitality. To honour the height of summer we hosted a gathering with broadcaster and author Zakia Sewell. The afternoon unfolded outdoors in Phoenix Garden, guided by communal rituals and inspiring conversation among new friends and long-time collaborators.
Based in London, Zakia covers a wide range of topics – from British folk culture to mental health to the Senegalese tradition of Sabar drumming – on acclaimed radio shows and podcasts. She is also a writer, examining themes of national identity and mythology in her book, Finding Albion.
For this event, Zakia welcomed the new season with a reading. She chose a passage from The Earth’s Cycle of Celebration by Glennie Kindred, a book which serves as an ongoing source of inspiration. Originally published in 1994, it provides an illustrated introduction to Celtic festivals and their history, encouraging active engagement with the natural elements and the Earth's cyclical energies.
Vegan Middle Eastern food was served by Honey & Co, a family of restaurants run by husband and wife Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer. Using a combination of fresh seasonal ingredients and earthy spice mixes, the team presented a vibrant, enticing vegan spread: roasted vegetables, watermelon and feta salad, herby potatoes and an assortment of pillowy breads.
Guests included artist and poet Jennifer Reid, Lally MacBeth and Matthew Shaw of Stone Club, Eat Ethio’s founders Helina Tesega and Scott Albon, and Errol Rueben Fernandes, the Horniman Museum's Head of Horticulture – among many other writers, artists and musicians. As the group dipped into the dishes and caught up with familiar faces, a series of performances began.
Gourd banjo player Bianca Wilson and multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Angeline Morrison played folk songs and summer solstice ballads, before a spoken word recital paid tribute to the changing seasons. Live performance is one way we choose to root ourselves to the present, while relating to those around us through shared, ephemeral experience.
Phoenix Garden was a meaningful setting for the gathering. A volunteer-run green space located in the Borough of Camden, it was founded in the mid-eighties to bring an oasis of calm to one of London’s liveliest neighbourhoods. In 2017, it was saved from closure by a crowdfunding campaign, proving the importance of natural environments for urban communities.
The afternoon embodied the promise of summer; of slow days grounded in good company, nourishment and raw materials, spent in attunement to nature and our surroundings. By marking this beginning with joy and connection, we hope to set a positive tone that permeates the coming months.
Zakia wears the Block Print Warp Check Sleeveless Dress.
Photography by Anna Jay.
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