Getting to know Sabrina Mahfouz

Sabrina is a poet, playwright and performer. She likes the way that sounds. Her bank doesn’t… Fusing honesty and humility, with self-deprecating irony and humour, Sabrina’s work has seen her accumulate a clutch of awards, including the Westminster Prize for New Playwrights in 2010, the 2011 Old Vic New Voices TS Eliot Award, the 2011 Made From Scratch Theatre New Writer Award, as well as a nomination for Best Solo Performance 2011 at The Stage Awards.

She is presenting a premiere of her new work at Latitude 2012. Ahead of this, and her appearance as a special guest at Longitude on 16th April, we caught up with Sabrina to ask her about her Latitude.

What latitude are you on right now?
London SW4 - my hometown. It’s sunny and Sunday and there’s a whole common outside to play on, but I’m stuck in an internet caff cos my laptop died!

Who’s your must-see performance at Latitude this year?
Buena Vista Social Club!!! I grew up on their Cuban beats - my Grandad is from the Carribean and would play the bongos and the triangle along to their songs, so it is very exciting to be on the same bill as them.

If any artist could do a guest appearance with you at Latitude who would that be and why?
It would be amazing to get a whole old skool UK Garage thing going on stage at Latitude - the best crews from back in the day - Heartless, Pay As You Go, Roll Deep, So Solid - and then I’d just pop out every now and again with a little poem. Pow.

Tell us a surprising fact about you…
I don’t like surprises.

What’s been your weirdest festival experience?
Finding an Irish whiskey bar with midgets and beards and banjos in a cave in the woods at 7am.

Summarise Latitude in 7 words
Latitude’s greater than seven words can say.

Fill in the gap, “Baa baa Latitude sheep, have you any _________ ?
Hotel rooms which happen to have a jacuzzi, a mini-bar, a microwave and a door right onto the Poetry Stage?

What’s on your Latitude playlist this year?
Laura Marling: My Manic and I
Bat For Lashes: Sleep Alone
Janelle Monae: BaBopByeYa
Buena Vista Social Club: Chan Chan
Paul Weller: Changing Man
Simple Minds: Don’t You (Forget About Me)

Click here to have a listen…