Alla Gutnikova: Public Talk by Ex Political Prisoner and Poet

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8 March | 20:00 | Brasenose College, Amersi Lecture Room

Poetry and protest have always been intertwined — words have the power to inspire, challenge, and even shake oppressive regimes. Alla Gutnikova — poet, activist, and former political prisoner — shared this firsthand.

A master's student at King's College London, Alla was arrested in Moscow during her final year of undergrad for defending freedom of assembly. As part of the editorial team at the student protest magazine DOXA, she spent a year under house arrest, facing up to three years in prison. Now on Russia's federal wanted list, she continues to speak out from exile.

Her final court statement — translated into 11 languages and published in n+1, Modern Poetry in Translation, Ostjournal, and more — became a symbol of defiance. Her poetry has appeared in F Letter, Greza, Polutona, Flagi, Articulation, syg.ma, and in 2023, her debut collection A Fish Called Rivka was published by Babel Tel-Aviv.

At this event, Alla spoke about solidarity, resistance through poetry and actionism, and the flash mobs and protests that took place outside courts and the Investigative Committee in her support. She read from A Fish Called Rivka and shared excerpts from her powerful court statement, 'the last word'.

The talk & poetry reading was followed by a Q&A

A portion of the event's proceeds was donated to solidarity.zone, supporting political prisoners.

8 March | 20:00 | Brasenose College, Amersi Lecture Room

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