El Martillo Press at the Twelfth Annual San José Poetry Festival

The 12th Annual San José Poetry Festival continues!

El Martillo Press travels up from Los Angeles for the final day of the 2026 festival! The small press fair and readings take place inside History Park.

El Martillo Press author Tshaka Campbell reads for the press showcase.

Tshaka Campbell

Tshaka Campbell was one of the 100 monkeys (#37) and does poetry to help speed up the process. It was said that he spat up Ethiopia while getting drunk with Thoth and Jesus. Once he read in a tabloid that he and Crispus Attucks took the Underground Railroad to a house party in the Bronx and after two drinks, invented trap music. Originally from London England, Tshaka was raised on his father’s teachings of solidarity and brought up on orators the likes of Garvey’s Pan-Africanism to William Churchill, as such, he adopted his father’s intense love of language. Tshaka began writing poetry long before performing it in an attempt to find his own voice and point of view within the art form. As a performer, he is recognized as an accomplished artist internationally and performance accolades include not only being a member of the Nuyorican national poetry slam team and the Da Poetry Lounge (DPL) slam team, but also earning the Grand Champion title in San Francisco and Hollywood. He has also been honored with the UK Unsigned Artist award in poetry. Tshaka is the first black, Santa Clara County Poet Laureate and has authored the books of poetry entitled Tarman, Muted Whispers, Stuff | Will Write More, Tunnel Vision and Blood at the Root: An Nkisi. His words have been featured in Bridges Review, BBC UK, Content Magazine, Speakeasy Vol. 1, Liminal Animals, Rigorous, among others. A city of Milpitas and city of Sunnyvale commendation in the arts award recipient, Tshaka has also collaborated on projects with the World Health Organization (WHO), the de Young Museum in San Francisco, the NUMU and Triton museums, as well sits on the Board of Directors for Silicon Valley Creates arts council and Poetry Center San Jose. He has partnered with the Silicon Valley Transit Authority and community members to deliver youth programs centered around expanding poetry and literature. He has four spoken word albums entitled ONE, BLOODLINES, SKIN vol.1; and his most recent release NKISI is currently available on all streaming platforms. Tshaka has toured a number of US cities and across the globe, featuring at venues such as the legendary Apollo Theater and the O2 in London England. He continues to be inspired by the struggle of life, the uncertain certainty of the universe and what it chooses to hand you. His wife and daughter show him the way daily, as well as so many authors and poets such as Octavia Butler, Ben Okri, Rumi, Baldwin, and countless others who spin language like silk. He currently resides in San Jose and continues to ask the world to listen different.

El Martillo Press

El Martillo Press publishes writers whose pens strike the page with clear intent; words with purpose to pry apart assumed norms and to hammer away at injustice. El Martillo Press proactively publishes writers looking to pound the pavement to promote their work and the work of their fellow pressmates. El Martillo is the builder of bridges and the destroyer of walls.

Poetry Center San José

Poetry Center San José's mission is to nurture and promote diverse literary expression in our community as a means of exploring, defining, and enriching the human experience.