American political activist, poet and former manager of the MC5, John Sinclair, joins forces with Howard Marks for a spoken word double-header on May 27 in the Dublin Button Factory. Tickets priced €18 are available from [link]tickets.ie/umack[/link] & Sound Cellar.

While Mr. Marks’ drug-trafficking exploits are well-known round these parts, you mightn’t be aware of Sinclair’s White Panther Party past and the 10-years he was sentenced to in 1969 after giving two joints to an undercover narcotics officer.

His 1971 release was secured by high-profile admirers like Stevie Wonder, John Lennon and Allan Ginsberg who campaigned on his behalf and organised a protest concert attended by 15,000 people.