Duke Al is a published poet, spoken word artist, rapper, and facilitator. He is
currently undertaking a Creative Writing Masters at Cardiff Metropolitan University.
Writing rhymes is Duke Al’s therapy. From a young age, Duke Al would scribble raps
and poems in his old lyric book. It was his way of expressing himself; an escapism to
challenge his OCD. A passion of words, flow and rhyme flared.
After being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 23, the pen was there to help him understand
and articulate how he felt. Now he aims to make an impactful change using one
rhyme at a time. He is the author of ‘Bittersweet: The Highs, The Lows, Hypers and
Hypos of Living with Type 1 Diabetes’. You can find Duke Al’s recent published work
on BBC Wales for the 2022 World Cup, BT Sports ‘Sport in Words’ for Black History
Month on Sir Lewis Hamilton, Cardiff Metropolitan Anthology 8, Artes Mundi journal,
on Amazon and BBC Scrum V for The Six Nations 2022.
“I am so grateful to be a part of such a meaningful project. The role of a storyteller allows me to explore and share the powerful stories of others. I want to work with the Alcohol Liaison Service in RCT and speak with service users. I want to give service users a voice and an opportunity to share their stories. I hope to then write a spoken word play that justifies the raw conversations we will have. I aim to break down the stigma of alcoholism and mental health. Everybody has a story to tell, everybody has something to say, humans have been sharing stories for centuries, they are a way of self-expression, understanding each other and they bring us closer together.” Duke Al Durham