Quick Info
| Profession | Poet, writer, filmmaker and visual artist |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Welsh-Iraqi |
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Bio/Wiki
| Summary | Welsh-Iraqi poet, filmmaker, scriptwriter and artist who has served as National Poet of Wales since 2022. |
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| Public Role | National Poet of Wales (appointed July 2022 for a three-year term) |
| Term Dates | 2022-2027 (as listed by Literature Wales and her official website) |
Educational Qualification(s)
| University | Cardiff University |
|---|---|
| Degree | English Literature |
Personal Life
| Upbringing | Raised in Cardiff, having also lived in Penarth |
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| Heritage | Draws on Welsh, Iraqi and Muslim heritage |
| Creative Start | Began writing poems at around age six |
Relationships & More
| Collaborators | Co-founded the Where I'm Coming From open mic collective with Durre Shahwar |
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| Editorial Work | Co-edited Welsh (Plural): Essays on the Future of Wales with Darren Chetty, Grug Muse and Iestyn Tyne |
Family
| Mother | Karen |
|---|---|
| Father | Ala |
| Siblings | Eldest of six children |
Career
| Debut Publication | Pamphlet My Body Can House Two Hearts, published by Burning Eye Books in 2019 |
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| Poet Laureate Role | Fifth poet to hold the National Poet of Wales title and the first Muslim to do so |
| Fellowships and Programmes | Hay Festival International Fellow (2022); member of the first Representing Wales cohort (2021) |
| Film | Short film The Golden Apple, supported by a 2020 Ffilm Cymru/BBC Wales commission |
| Other Work | Member of the writers' room for Channel 4's series We Are Lady Parts; monologue performed at the Bush Theatre as part of the Hijabi Monologues |
| Performance and Publication Outlets | BBC Wales, ITV Wales, Huffington Post, StAnza Festival, Poetry Wales, Wales Arts International, British Council |
| Anthology Co-Editing | Co-edited Just So You Know: Essays of Experience (Parthian Books, 2020) with Durre Shahwar and Özgür Uyanık |
| Children's Writing | Contributed to The Mab (Unbound, 2022), a retelling of the Mabinogi stories for children |
Favourites
| Poets Who Inspire Her |
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Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Some of her poems in her debut pamphlet use cynghanedd, the traditional Welsh rhyming system. | |
| 2. Her first poem shared publicly was written in response to a 2016 comment by then Prime Minister David Cameron about Muslim women. | |
| 3. Her Welsh grandparents recited poetry to her as a child. |
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