Momtaza Mehri Explained

Momtaza Mehri
Caption:Mehri in 2019
Nationality:Somali-British
Awards:Out-Spoken Page Poetry Prize, Forward Prize for Best First Collection
Notable Works:Bad Diaspora Poems (2023)
Style:Poet and essayist

Momtaza Mehri (born 1995) is a Somali-British poet and essayist.[1]

Life

Momtaza Mehri is of Somali heritage and grew up in Kilburn, north-west London, and Birmingham in "the kind of household where if you're getting shouted at by your aunt to come downstairs, in one sentence she will use Somali, Arabic, Italian and English."[2] She lives in Kilburn, and has trained as biomedical scientist.[3]

Literary career

Mehri began writing for publication in 2014.

In 2016–2017, she was featured in DAZED,[4] BuzzFeed[3] BBC Radio 4,[5] Poetry Society of America;[6] Mask Magazine,[7] SAND Journal,[8] and Frontier Poetry.[9] She became a member of The Complete Works mentoring programme and went on to win the Out-Spoken Page Poetry Prize (2017) and to publish a pamphlet, Sugah. Lump. Prayer with Akashic Books.

In 2018, Mehri won third prize in the National Poetry Competition and was named the Young People's Laureate of London.

In 2019, Mehri won the Manchester Poetry Prize for unpublished writing,[10] and published a pamphet with Goldsmiths Press.

In 2022, Mehri was shortlisted for the Observer/Antony Burgess Prize for Arts journalism.[11]

In 2023, Mehri won an Eric Gregory Award and the Forward Prize for Best First Collection[12] with Bad Diaspora Poems.[13] It was also shortlisted for the 2023 Charlotte Aitken Young Writer of the Year Award.[14]

Mehri then took up the position of Jessica Bardsley Poet in Residence at Homerton College Cambridge.[15]

Publications

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Somali-British poet Momtaza Mehri named young people's laureate for London. Flood. Alison. 16 April 2018 . The Guardian. 8 January 2024.
  2. News: Luckhurst . Phoebe . Why Momtaza Mehri wants to expand the definition of poetry . 6 January 2024 . Evening Standard . 4 June 2018 . en.
  3. News: Gani . Aisha . 5 Somali-British Poets You Need To Know About . 6 January 2024 . BuzzFeed . 5 June 2016 . en-gb.
  4. News: The new generation of poets mastering DIY culture. Anna. DeWolf. 1 September 2016 . Dazed. 18 October 2018 .
  5. Web site: BBC Radio 4 - Pick a Sky and Name It. BBC. 18 October 2018 .
  6. Web site: Momtaza Mehri – The Poetry Society: Poems. poems.poetrysociety.org.uk. 2018-10-18.
  7. Web site: Momtaza Mehri. Mask Magazine. 2018-10-18.
  8. Web site: Issue 15. SAND Journal. en-US. 2019-01-30.
  9. News: Poetry: Two Poems by Momtaza Mehri Frontier Poetry - A Platform For Emerging Poetry. 14 December 2017. Frontier Poetry. 18 October 2018 .
  10. Web site: University . Manchester Metropolitan . Story, Manchester Metropolitan University . Manchester Metropolitan University . 6 January 2024 . en.
  11. News: Mehri . Momtaza . Observer/Anthony Burgess prize for arts journalism 2022: Momtaza Mehri on The White Lotus . 6 January 2024 . The Guardian . 27 February 2022.
  12. News: Knight . Lucy . Bohdan Piasecki wins best performed poem in new Forward prize category . 6 January 2024 . The Guardian . 16 October 2023.
  13. News: Olayiwola . Oluwaseun . The best recent poetry – review roundup . 6 January 2024 . The Guardian . 30 June 2023.
  14. Web site: 2024-02-27 . Charlotte Aitken Young Writer of the Year Award 2023 shortlist announced . 2024-02-28 . Books+Publishing.
  15. Web site: Momtaza Mehri announced as the new Jacqueline Bardsley Poet-in-Residence. . www.homerton.cam.ac.uk . 6 January 2024 . en . 4 October 2023.
  16. Book: Mehri . Momtaza . Sugah. Lump. Prayer . 2017 . Akashic Books . 978-1-61775-571-2 . 6 January 2024 . en.
  17. Book: Woolf . Karen McCarthy . Ten: Poets of the New Generation . 2017 . Bloodaxe Books . 978-1-78037-383-6 . 6 January 2024 . en.
  18. Book: Mehri . Momtaza . Doing the Most with the Least . 2019 . Goldsmiths Press . 978-1-912685-35-6 . 6 January 2024 . en.
  19. Book: Mehri . Momtaza . Bad Diaspora Poems: Winner of the Forward Prize for Best First Collection . 6 July 2023 . Random House . 978-1-5299-0186-3 . 6 January 2024 . en.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Momtaza Mehri".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.