"I am armed with nothing except the love of words" Dike Omeje.

The MindfieldAward winning Mancunian poet Dike Omeje first took to the stage in 1995 and has since earned high praise for his poetry performances. Dike has published two anthologies of his poems and through his work in schools, colleges and prisons he encourages expression through creative writing.

Dike is an accomplished performer and poetry slam champion. He has been described as "..a talent that comes round only once in a decade" and "A smooth mix of passion, intensity, and a sprinkling of humour with a metaphysical 'eye in the storm' of life"

The US poet and activist Kalamu Ya Salaam commended Dike for his outstanding arguments in rhyme supporting performance poetry.

He has appeared on BBC Radio, performed as part of Black History Month at Manchester Art Gallery and has shared the stage with greats such as Benjamin Zephaniah and Linton Kwesi Johnson.

Phototography by Gary Parker at garyparkerphotography.co.uk