Alycia Pirmohamed
@a_pirmohamed
Followers
5,105
Following
1,095
Media
412
Statuses
10,485
✾ @nanprize winner, A Beautiful and Vital Place ✾ rep @portyliterary ✾ @polygonbooks & @yesyesbooks & @cambridge_uni ✾ @scotbpocwriters & @ledburycritics ✾ she
Edinburgh, Scotland
Joined February 2016
Don't wanna be here?
Send us removal request.
Explore trending content on Musk Viewer
ALL EYES ON RAFAH
• 796778 Tweets
De Niro
• 387631 Tweets
Palestino
• 103996 Tweets
Fernando
• 92116 Tweets
#WWENXT
• 56714 Tweets
Thomsen
• 54044 Tweets
#خادم_الحرمين_الشريفين
• 50758 Tweets
Millonarios
• 38365 Tweets
Lali
• 37777 Tweets
Lali
• 37777 Tweets
Coronado
• 36152 Tweets
Lala
• 35490 Tweets
Renê
• 34261 Tweets
DAME MIL FURIAS
• 34159 Tweets
Paulinho
• 33737 Tweets
Peñarol
• 30256 Tweets
$BOOST
• 26582 Tweets
Wesley
• 18251 Tweets
Sudamericana
• 16133 Tweets
Josh Gibson
• 14829 Tweets
Jordynne Grace
• 13047 Tweets
#PumpRules
• 11494 Tweets
Pinned Tweet
Overwhelmed right now with so many things. But this news 🙏🏽
Thank you to the
@NanPrize
judges for believing in this work, to everyone at
@canongatebooks
, to the longlisted writers – many of whom have become friends, to
@PortyLiterary
for the guidance
I truly love my community.
We're delighted to announce the winner of the 2023 Nan Shepherd Prize is
@a_pirmohamed
's A Beautiful and Vital Place!
As winner of the prize, Alycia will receive a £10,000 publishing contract with
@canongatebooks
and an offer of representation with
@PortyLiterary
32
92
466
102
80
803
so we’re all just attempting to function with broken hearts I guess
19
408
2K
I... just passed my PhD Viva with no corrections!!! Ahhhh! SO, so, so happy right now! 🥰🥳
So much gratitude to these books/writers that guided me on this journey, and with which I got to spend hours upon hours (upon hours) with.
I am a Dr now...!? Do we believe it? (Ahhhh!!!)
125
20
943
'In order for me to write poetry that isn't political,
I must listen to the birds
and in order to hear the birds
the warplanes must be silent'
This poem by Marwan Makhoul reminds us that claiming to be 'apolitical' is not only a political stance in itself, but also a privilege
4
421
934
Honestly, I just won't be able to look at people the same way.
I don't need coffee dates & autumnal walks right now. I need my friends to fight for Palestinian freedom. I need my (esp white) friends to actively fight against racism & Islamophobia in the West/media.
18
215
869
‘Foxglove Country’ by
@ZaffarKunial
is literally a perfect poem. I gasped at the close.
Sounds, syntax, language, form, references, the little Englands of grief. This poem has truly unmoored me and I don’t know when I will recover.
34
184
779
the time between 'I wrote a masterpiece' to 'this makes me cringe' is about two days
15
83
560
favourite essays that intertwine prose and poetry?
my students this year are rupturing genre in exciting ways and I'd like to recommend them some reads ~
48
79
540
Can't believe I get to say this, but I've been awarded a Pushcart Prize for my poem "House of Prayer," first published in
@PalettePoetry
! I'm truly stunned! 😭🙏🏾
Thank you to
@JoshuaRoarkPoet
, Edward Hirsch & the Palette team for supporting & rooting for this little poem! ❤️❤️
62
33
503
not everyone has the privilege of pursuing “a labour of love” & it can be hard for poets who aren’t also academics to find info about resources
if anyone is applying for workshops, residencies, cw programmes, or grants, I’m very happy to share my materials. please just reach out
28
80
499
I still can't believe it but ... I won the CBC Poetry Prize!!! Thank you to all the readers, to
@cbcbooks
& to judges
@BillyRayB
@olivesenior
& Lynn Crosbie 🙏🏾😭
Congrats again to the longlisted & shortlisted authors! It's an honour to have been listed with such stunning work.💜
7
62
190
63
44
487
It's official! My debut collection is coming out with
@PolygonBooks
in the UK in 2022! I'm so excited to share these poems & thrilled to be published with such a wonderful press! This is a huge milestone for me & I'm so glad it's finally happening! 🥰
Polygon is delighted to announce a new signing to its poetry list, the debut collection from Alycia Pirmohamed, the winner of the 2020 Edwin Morgan Poetry Award. Another Way to Split Water is being published in summer 2022. Read more:
@a_pirmohamed
7
17
96
93
55
468
I am a preliminary judge for this year's 92Y Discovery Poetry Contest. Today, I signed the letter Writers in Solidarity with Palestine and withdrew from that position.
I'm posting this as part of collective action. If you're hesitating, know that many are firmly boycotting.
1,000+ writers will be boycotting zionist literary institutions Best American Poetry, 92nd Street Y Discovery Prize, PEN America, Frankfurt Book Fair, and Harper’s Bazaar.
8
437
991
10
136
460
Today, I handed in my doctoral thesis!!!
A strange & somewhat surreal thing to do right now. But I'm SO proud of this work & delighted to have arrived here!
Even though I couldn't get it bound like usual (e-sub), here's a lil photo of me & my pamphlets celebrating today! 🥳💙
68
17
444
approaching a poem with the question “what do I feel” rather than “what does this mean”
4
63
426
Palestine deserves so much more than a ceasefire. And yet, not even that? Not even that? Not even a stop to so, so much death and devastation?
Not even that? What kind of nightmare is this.
4
170
418
I’m so, so over the moon to share this news! Ive had a secret hope to write this book of nonfiction for a long time & having my work acknowledged by
@NanPrize
is such a dream come true.
Thank you to the judges & to all the free resources on the website that helped me apply. 🌱🥹
We're delighted to announce a 17-strong longlist of titles for the Nan Shepherd Prize 2023.
We received over 135 entries to this year’s prize, all showcasing the incredible breadth of nature writing across the UK and Ireland.
Discover the list here:
2
85
218
56
34
395
What an honour to get to share that I’ve won
@YesYesBooks
’s Pamet River Prize for my debut collection, Another Way to Split Water!! 😭😳
I’m so excited for this book to enter the world. Thank you YYB! & Congrats to all the finalists! 💙
+ here is my “how do I even react!?” face
Dear Folks, We're so happy to finally announce results of this year's Pamet River Prize & we're profoundly grateful for everyone's patience through these past months. Please congratulate all the writers on this list! We're so lucky they are in the world. (click photo to expand!)
4
5
92
63
29
357
Ahhh! My heart is leaping! I’m SO excited to reveal the UK cover of my debut, Another Way to Split Water! 💙🤍
It’s thrilling, magical & a bit scary to see it on
@PolygonBooks
available for preorder! A really special moment that I’ll be celebrating! ✨🌊
44
69
348
everyone goes through the “how do you write a poem again?” phase after they publish their first collection… right?
35
9
336
The Society of Authors officially opposed a resolution calling for a statement in favour of a permanent ceasefire because they say it's outside their remit to be political? No. Opposing the motion IS political.
We should all feel sick that this resolution didn't pass.
17
82
312
seeing a lot of “craft vs. diversity” posts lately (like it’s the early 2000s or something) where white writers seem to suggest their work is not “about identity” and therefore “universal”
and that’s just not true
8
68
286
AHHHH! This is the most amazing news and I'm so, so grateful to
@EdMorganTrust
and judges, John Glenday and Kathleen Jamie. 💜💚💙🧡
Congratulations to all the shortlisted poets and runner-up
@brambrella
-- what an amazing event filled with such talented poets today
@edbookfest
!
Announcing our
#EMPoetryAward
winner
@a_pirmohamed
and runner up
@brambrella
🥳🥂 read more and view the pamphlet on our website: Thanks for a fantastic online launch
@edbookfest
😘
2
41
118
61
19
276
what are any of us even doing trying to function “as normal” right now? emails, messages, deadlines…
genuinely can’t touch any of the “work” I have to do without feeling like I’m going to vomit
if it isn’t about a free Palestine, I can barely look at it
12
45
278
such a huge honour & such a joy to be shortlisted for the Edwin Morgan Poetry Award via
@EdMorganTrust
! congratulations to the amazing poets on this list -- i'm so delighted for us all!!🧡
so grateful to judges
@KathleenJamie
and John Glenday! 🙏🏾
57
21
275
my graduation with Edinburgh was cancelled due to the pandemic
so last week I did a silly (but also fun) thing and attended my grad ceremony a few years late. handing in, viva-ing, and finishing my phd all happened remotely in 2020. it honestly felt nice to get some closure 🌸🎓
14
0
271
I really am laughing at myself – the way I continuously apply for arts funding, university fellowships, etc. I really tricked myself into believing I could have real political impact by working within institutions.
APNews: Arts Council England (
@ace_national
) has updated its policies, warning that "political statements" made by individuals linked to an organisation can cause "reputational risk", breaching funding agreements (1/5)
760
774
886
6
34
270
What a beautiful, dreamy list & such an honour to be included. Thank you to all the judges of this year’s
@jhalakprize
💙🤍
42
31
239
Wish I could tell my super shy 15-year-old self that she’d be reading from a book she wrote & speaking about it on an international festival stage.
She wouldn’t believe it. Surreal, magical night last night at
@edbookfest
with
@Jay_Gao_
&
@ticecin
!
Thanks, friends, for the 📸
18
16
238
My early copies arrived & they are so beautiful. I’m just really proud, friends. Holding this book is a dream come true.
Officially out with
@PolygonBooks
in Sept &
@YesYesBooks
in Nov. If you would like a review copy, please get in touch. 💙
Preorder:
32
43
234
I feel like every day, I become less sure of what poetry is
21
15
233
I’ve officially started my
@banffcentre
residency, and it is so dreamy!
This is part of my
@cbcbooks
poetry prize from 2019, and it’s so, so worth the wait. The Rockies in autumn are swoon worthy. 🍂
I’ll be working away on some new poems in that little studio!
15
2
204
indie/small publishers are really just always out there redeeming the lit world
2
24
198
Ahhhh! I'll have a poem in one of my dream journals
@Gulf_Coast
!!!
It is such an honour to win this prize, especially because one of my favourite poets was the judge. So, so grateful to
@aimeenez
for seeing something in this little poem, and so much thanks to the GC team. 😭💗
Congrats to
@a_pirmohamed
- winner of the 2019 Gulf Coast Prize in Poetry, selected by
@aimeenez
(Look for her winning poem this October in Gulf Coast 32.1)
3
0
32
27
17
195
publishing a book
expectation: you finally feel like a real writer
reality: your self-confidence hangs on by a thread 🫠
14
11
189
I had the opportunity of a lifetime to chat with one of my greatest poetry inspirations, Dionne Brand. I so admire her and her work, on and off the page. I will be thinking back to this moment for a long time.
Nomenclature, her collected volume, is stunning – a must read.
3
21
180
this academic year, in my capacity as fellow with
@IASH_Edinburgh
, I get to spend my time exploring landscape poetry written by writers of colour. & today I’m immersing myself in this work while in the misty Scottish highlands
@moniackmhor
⛰✍🏽
it’s been a very memorable morning
16
3
178
It’s surreal to be on a longlist with so, so many poets I genuinely love and look up to.
I’m grateful to the judges for seeing something in my very first poetry collection — thank you! And huge congratulations to all of these gorgeous books. 💛
The Michael Murphy Memorial Prize The English Association is pleased to announce the longlist of the seventh biennial prize of £1000 for a distinctive first volume of poetry in English published in Britain or Ireland, between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2022.
#Poetry
2
37
105
20
16
173
It was a special honour to chair Ocean Vuong’s
@edbookfest
event last night. I feel wildly lucky to have had the chance to engage with one of my favourite poets this way.
There was so much wisdom, generosity, and beautiful poetry on stage last night.
One of the biggest cheers of
@edbookfest
2022 for the entrance by Ocean Vuong for his conversation with
@a_pirmohamed
3
4
70
4
10
165
Ahhh!!! For the FIRST TIME *EVER* I have a chapbook available to preorder! 'Faces that Fled the Wind' is officially a real thing, folks. This is very literally a dream come true! 😭💗
Thanks to
@BOAAT_PRESS
@camillerankine
& cover designer
@avocadothot
!
20
44
162
It's a dream come true to have two poems up at
@GrantaMag
!
I feel like these pieces are navigating new thoughts and vulnerabilities, and I'm so glad that they found such a wonderful home. Thank you
@r_vallen
for this space. 💙
‘I encounter the first woman
by encountering my own face in the river.
Two bodies alike, one drenched
in inheritance.’
Two poems by Alycia Pirmohamed.
0
21
73
17
29
156
It's unbelievable that we are witnessing all the horrors happening in Palestine – so many photographs and videos of death and destruction, so many first hand accounts from people on the ground – and still it continues. I can't believe it. I once had more faith in us than that.
2
37
156
What's a poetry collection or chapbook you read this year that you loved & would like to see get a little more attention?
Hoping to order some reads into the library for 2020!
63
43
147
I promise it’s not a “complicated” matter to stand against genocide.
1
43
151
I love experimental poetry. I love work that pulls from traditions (not only Western). I love ecocritical poetry & introspective/meditative work. I love formal work & free verse & innovated forms. I love work about heritage & lineage & fruit. I think it's okay to love it all.
1
8
150
Recently an article in a sizeable publication mentioned something I was involved with. The writer, who I met many times, named my two white, male colleagues & omitted my presence entirely. The three of us hold the same positions/titles. Only I was erased.
24
4
150
I’m still struggling to write poetry. I don't know if it's remnants of grief or the pressure of public consumption. Or perhaps I just write more slowly now, encountering more resistance & I think that's probably okay too. What do recuperation & self-kindness genuinely look like?
15
1
148
I am very proud of my first book & very excited about the new manuscript (slowly) taking shape.
Just want to acknowledge this good energy after a few personally difficult years. 🌻
4
1
147
It’s really special to be longlisted for two
@CanadianPoets
awards. My collection is about where I grew up, where all my family still live. I’ve felt disconnected & simultaneously homesick for Canada lately & full of complex feelings about my home—as settler, immigrant & emigrant
Allodynia by Nisa Malli (Palimpsest Press)
@nisamalliwrites
@PalimpsestPress
Another Way to Split Water by Alycia Pirmohamed (Birlinn)
@a_pirmohamed
@BirlinnBooks
The Big Melt by Emily Riddle (Nightwood Editions)
@emilyjaneriddle
@NightwoodEd
1
3
15
19
12
143
Yesterday I spoke about how I’m not afraid of repeating words & lines across my poetry. For me, repetition is a key strategy in my collection. I speak often about how recurring moments build its narrative. Today I read Phillips’ note about patterning & knew I’d love this book.
5
14
143
revision tip: in an old piece that you have enough distance from, pick a line that isn't working and replace the nouns
maybe "time" becomes "azaelas"
I find this can reveal intriguing metaphors that require you look at the meaning of a line differently
also, it's really fun
2
14
136
Today is the day! Another Way to Split Water is officially out in the UK!
Tonight I’ll be launching the collection & reading with friends. Please come!
My book also shares a birthday with my dad, which is pretty cute! So I’ve included a little favourite photo of him here too.☺️
As ever, publication day brings with it an eclectic mix of books from Birlinn and
@PolygonBooks
, from two stunning poetry collections, to a history of salt cod from Shetland, to a biography of Enlightenment genius James Hutton, with much in between.
2
7
44
22
20
137
What if we italicise all English words in poems instead?
4
24
135
Poets, lean into those private moments. Universality is a scam.
2
15
133
Ahhh! Sooo excited to have this gorgeous
@brookespoetry
pamphlet in my hands! It’s so beautiful! 😭🌷
I can’t wait to launch this little book! Today & tomorrow I’ll be reading for the first time ever (!!) in London (
@poetrycafeldn
) / Oxford, & I hope to see you there! 🥰
15
16
135
!!! I just got the proofs from
@extrateethmag
for what will be my first ever published short story, and they look *so good*
I wasn't prepared to feel this huge rush of excitement & nerves. Ahhh!
8
7
136
I’m honoured to be on the shortlist for
@CanadianPoets
’ Raymond Souster Award. I loved reading the jurors’ comments, which so beautifully & generously represented my collection. Seeing the environmental themes in my work understood & my craft appreciated this way is a huge gift.
Announcing the 2023 RAYMOND SOUSTER AWARD SHORTLIST
This award recognizes an exemplary book of poetry by a member of the League of Canadian Poets and carries a $2000 prize. Congratulations to all poets and publishers on the shortlist!
1
8
21
14
13
137
SO honoured to have been selected by Camille Rankine for the 2018 chapbook prize! Thank you to
@BOAAT_PRESS
and
@camillerankine
for making my first chapbook possible! I am so unbelievably happy right now. 😭💜
Congratulations to Alycia Pirmohamed (
@a_pirmohamed
) whose manuscript, "Faces that Fled the Wind" was selcted by Camille Rankine as the winner of the 2018 BOAAT Chapbook Prize!
LINK:
0
12
74
10
18
133
forever trying to get used to the fact that the poems I'm most excited about are rarely anyone's favourite & the poems that people connect with are always a surprise 😅🙃
7
3
134
It means a lot that Scotland has embraced me and my work. Being featured on this
@Saltire_Society
list is a really nice thing and I love getting to share space with artist friends and people I admire. 💙
@Marcas_Mac
@TheScotsman
@a_pirmohamed
- Alycia Pirmohamed is the author of Another Way to Split Water, and co-founder of the Scottish BPOC Writers Network
#Saltire40
Find out more via the link: 🔗
1
3
21
5
19
130
I have a new essay up at
@wildcourtpoetry
voicing a lot of my thoughts about the white gaze, the flaws of 'recognition' / universality, & writing about trauma.
In a way, it's a kind of inquiry – a series of questions & observations about (in)visibility.
"The 'identity'/ 'political' poet is a caricature – it is an outfit that has been ironed and laid out by white power structures for us to button-up around our non-white bodies."
@a_pirmohamed
writes for Wild Court about poetry and the white gaze:
0
22
62
10
48
129
Reading poetry in a place like this is a dream. The views, the bird calls, the ever changing weather. It’s deeply peaceful. I know I’m extremely lucky to escape to
@moniackmhor
for so long 🤍
Reading: Nomenclature by Dionne Brand
4
2
128
Some news! I’m thrilled to join the fabulous
@LedburyCritics
team as a co-organiser. Our 2021 programme is filled with exciting opportunities for critics of colour— please do apply for the chance to work with one of our incredible mentors & check out the full announcement! ☺️
Our biggest news in almost two years: the Ledbury Critics Programme is opening applications for UK-based critics of colour. Details on how to apply are on the
@WritingatCentre
website () and in the thread below. [1/9]
6
139
161
14
13
127
So, I'm teaching English Literature (1300-1800) for the first time and put together a syllabus that includes the *required* readings. You know, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Spenser - same old, same old. But, I also added Patience Agbabi, Sonnet L'Abbe, and Joshua Whitehead 1/
9
18
124
Oh my gosh!!!! 😱😱😱😱
My chapbook lives!!!! Thank you
@BOAAT_PRESS
!
It’s here! “Faces that Fled the Wind” by Alycia Pirmohamed (
@a_pirmohamed
)!!!!
/
/
/
#boaat
#poetry
#chapbooks
#publishing
#smallpress
1
7
29
10
19
122
Organisations are telling us that because they provide funding / are publicly funded, they have to remain apolitical & silent on genocide.
1. Apolitical *is* a political stance
2. The org's funding or platform can never truly serve us if it perpetuates a system that oppresses us
2
49
120
You know, if you’re an agent, publisher, lit org, event programmer, etc. and you’re putting in minimal effort to create a diverse + inclusive list, it shows. People can tell. It’s 2021 & we’re not here for that “only one in the room” energy.
1
18
118
I’m on my way to a dreamy 1-month writing residency in the Scottish highlands
@moniackmhor
! get ready for lots of pine tree content 🤎
9
2
121
Being on the
@laurelprize
list for environmental poetry means so much. Thank you to the judges for acknowledging this aspect of my work, & for really seeing what I try to do in my poetry. Also this is such a gorgeous, dreamy list of books! 🙏🏽💓
@PolygonBooks
@poetryschool
We're delighted to announce our 2023 longlist! There are some outstanding poets on this list! Judged by
@pascalepoet
, Nick Laird &
@reetacbbc
.
The ceremony happening Friday 22 Sep
@bbccslfest
, we'll be announcing our shortlist in a couple of weeks so keep your eyes peeled 🌿
2
43
119
12
8
118
What poetry collection, chapbook, or even single poem has inspired you to write? I haven't put words down for a while & looking for ways to get back to that poetry place
63
12
112
Good morning from Accra, Ghana, where I’m on a month-long writing residency at the gorgeous
@loatad_org
I’m so excited to dig into the books here & collaborate with the other residents
@chika_jones
@ToluAgbelusi
@HeatherParryUK
@DroEdwige
@passingplace
💛
3
9
116
I have two poems in the beautiful new issue of
@WaxwingMag
. I’ve been submitting to Waxwing for years and I’m so glad these little pieces found such a beautiful home
‘Becoming at sea’ is on themes of embodiment, temporality, & love.
‘Fragments of her’ is on narratives & gaps 💙
10
28
115
today, I woke up and didn’t have a visceral, bodily aversion to possibly writing a poem. for the last year, I have felt wildly disconnected from the things I love & I hope this means there’s some kind of healing (slowly) happening. hope that’s true for many of us 🌱
2
2
115
I get to launch my chap with
@GoldenHareBooks
, read with my very talented friends
@JayGYing
&
@alykissner
, & also read with one of my greatest inspirations / favourite poets today,
@AriaAber
! (
@BOAAT_PRESS
represent!)
Yes, this is a dream come true. 💫
12
19
114
How long did it take to land your first poetry book, from submission to acceptance? & What was the journey like?
41
16
110
I have two poems in the beautiful new issue of
@swamp_pink
🩷
I wrote 'Birdsong' at
@banffcentre
about a year ago, before/after walks in the mountains & alongside rivers. I spent those autumn days thinking a lot about the relationship between art & time.
7
25
112
I think we have to ask ourselves why we continue to revere places like
@PoetryFound
when every few years they betray our trust.
'Prestige' and capital aren't worth censorship and complicity in a genocide. You can make that clear in a Submittable withdrawal note.
I want to share that I had a 3,500 word review of Sam Sax's PIG shelved on October 8 by The Poetry Foundation because it discusses anti-zionsim. The decision came from the leadership team of the foundation. I was told Poetry didn't want to be seen as "picking" a side.
66
688
2K
2
39
112
My work is on this exceptional list of
@GrantaMag
's most popular poems of 2022 and I can't lie, it's surreal to be among the fierce poets listed here
The poems are written after writers I adore, in a style I'm leaning into and hope to see more of in 2023
To mark the end of 2022, here are ten of our most popular poems from the last twelve months.
2
18
77
5
12
112
When you feel that tangle of nerves, excitement, adrenaline & dizzying joy, you know it’s because you really love & care about something.
Today me &
@Jay_Gao_
get to read from our debuts on the amazing
@edbookfest
stage! So I’m feeling all the things 💗
10
11
110
I am so, so, so honoured to have been selected as this year's emerging poetry winner by one of my favourite poets! Honestly, still in complete shock! A huge thank you to Roger Reeves & everyone at
@pshares
, & congratulations to all of the other winners! 💫
11
15
110
so many creative systems are built around keeping people out and letting a very select few in, which is at its core, such a miserable system within which to try and nurture art.
1
23
107
I'm beyond honoured to be on the list of
@ProjectSawti
winners this year! & The English category was judged by one of my poetry idols
@mafiasafia
, who who has inspired so much of my poetry in the last few years. 🙏🙏
Thank you to
@adroitjournal
for first publishing this poem!
17
16
110
currently working on the manuscript for an anthology of nature poetry by writers of colour, and oh my god, this work is incredible – exciting, moving, playful, reflective, challenging
really can't wait for everyone to read it! coming soon via
@IASH_Edinburgh
and
@ScotBPOCwriters
9
15
109
My collection has been in the works for five years. I just opened an early draft & felt a swell of mixed emotions. It's like reading through a different version of myself
& I have so much love for those poems that aren't in the final ms, but needed to be written for it to exist.
7
1
105
through princes street, up the mound, and down edinburgh’s royal mile 🇵🇸 🍉
1
11
105
So pleased to be guest editing a BAME feature issue of
@Gutter_Magazine
with
@JayGYing
! Our submission window is open now until 16 September & we'd love to read your work. Can't wait for this feature of BAME writers all over Scotland and beyond!
5
54
105
Still can’t believe this is true! What an absolute honour to be listed here with Alfredo Aguilar,
@ProjectNard
and
@OmotaraJames
! 🤩
Thanks to
@92YPoetry
Discovery Poetry Contest for giving my little portfolio of poems this chance!
Announcing the winners of
@92Y
Discovery Poetry Contest—
Alfredo Aguilar,
@projectnard
,
@OmotaraJames
and
@a_pirmohamed
!
2
21
84
16
10
103
Poet
@MosabAbuToha
writes from Gaza. Recently he wrote about evacuating his neighbourhood Beit Lahia for Jabalia refugee camp. Israel is now heavily bombing this camp.
His book is free at
@CityLightsBooks
. I'm reading it, heartbroken, knowing to witness is so important right now
Mosab's collection THINGS YOU MAY FIND HIDDEN IN MY EAR is available for download as a free ebook at this link:
0
49
79
6
71
102
When your lil sister recreates an image of you at your reading and it’s the most joyous little gift ever 🌺🧡
@shazziieArt
11
2
102
Thinking about how I have to constantly be hyper-factual, hyper-polite, totally unemotional, hyper-understanding and hyper-patient when discussing race issues to be taken even the least bit seriously... when in actuality, 99% of the time I just wanna scream
2
8
100
The best part of every reading is always when women of colour come up to me & tell me my poems meant something to them / how it felt to see another brown woman on stage.
It reminds me of all the woc who’ve been there for me, how we continuously cross paths & inspire each other.
2
5
99
just thinking about all the bookmarked tweets, worry that my speaking out is getting misconstrued, loss of friendships, seeing friends' livelihoods seriously targeted, signing letters that could be used against me in my workplaces... all of this as strategy of fear and censorship
12
5
100
sometimes a white academic puts "decolonise" in their letter of interest and gets f/t uni employment, and sometimes a BIPOC student utters the word "decolonise" in their dept and 3 people get involved to tell her it's just not logistically possible. cool.
2
7
99
years and years and years of writing, and I still don’t believe in myself??! brains are weird.
9
4
100
This week, the high school student I'm working with as part of
@adroitjournal
's mentorship program submitted an utterly striking poem. It's so, so, so exciting to see the incredible writing coming from young writers. In awe of these wonderful poets. 💙😭
3
2
95
Around 9/11 I didn't know what to do with Islamophobia but internalise it. I didn't know what to do with the abuse, fake narratives, fear.
The return of harmful language (terrorist), profiling, & dehumanisation of Muslims is being used to vilify & this time to justify genocide.
7
15
97
Absolutely honoured (and stunned) to be on this list! I can’t wait to read the winning pieces! So grateful to the
@PalettePoetry
team and judge, Edward Hirsch 💙
Our favorite moment: here are the winners and the finalists of our 2019 Palette Poetry Prize!——
Selected by our guest judge, Edward Hirsch:
1st — Shelley Stenhouse $4k
2nd — Alycia Pirmohamed
@a_pirmohamed
$300
3rd — Madhur Anand
@globalecochange
$200
0
0
28
12
8
94
Lately I've been finding it hard to love my body.
In these moments, I try to remember the person I was when I wrote this, to remember to show my body kindness in the present moment.
8
3
96
Thinking about all the new people in my community – protesters, activists, people who show up – is the only thing that helps when I start to feel sad about all the friends I thought I was close to, but who remain silent on 🇵🇸
A real friendship is built on values, not just books.
2
21
96
For the first time ever, my sister walked into a random
@chaptersindigo
in Canada and saw my book stocked on its shelves. This is the first time my family has ever encountered my work in the wild…
the first time they’ve witnessed that I really am a published author. 🥺💙
8
4
94