London poet’s debut book exploring migration and identity hits the shelves – Southwark News

A poet who grew up in Bromley has published his debut collection titled 3000 Miles From Home – The Stories my mother and Father Never told me, writes Myfanwy Fleming-Jones…

Dee Majek, a 69-year-old Nigerian-British poet who attended Hayes Down primary school in West Wickham in the early 1960’s, launched the first of five books last month to encourage the sharing of family history and stories. They are inspired by the 2,880 miles he travelled from Lagos to Heathrow when he was seven-years-old.

After only starting to write three years ago, the 56-poem book was inspired by Dee’s ambition to share his personal journey of self-discovery with his own children and encourage conversations around identity within South London communities.

Dee said: “It’s a homage to the untold stories of my parents and generations before them — stories that crossed oceans, survived silence and waited to be spoken.”

The book covers topics such as being the only other Black family in Bromley when his family first moved there, to adapting to the palette of a new country’s food – the collection also features a poem on the Deptford fire titled ‘Ashes to Ashes’.

Dee said: “South London has been central to my journey, I am inspired by all the untold stories around me.

“My work is reflective of other immigrant families and the stories of what they faced and discovered.”

As well as being an established voice in the UK poetry and education scene, Dee is a 2026 finalist in the Pearson National Teaching Awards’ SEND and Inclusive Practice category and has served as a Streatham Festival Poet for several years.

The poet has also worked extensively with young people across South London and wider London communities, supporting their creativity, confidence and self-expression through poetry.

Some of his work with youth-focused creative initiatives includes:

• West London Schools Creative and Poetry Challenge

• Push a Pen

• Students with Voices

• Clapham with Voices Open Night in partnership with Lambeth Libraries

• Streatham with Voices Primary Schools Poetry Challenge

Dee said: “I write for people to represent their voices through my poems and memoirs to show the reality of the stories your parents don’t tell you, the older generations are gate keepers of their own stories.

“This book is an opening to the untold stories of those in South London.”

Front cover of the debut collection.