about
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who is she?
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Salaams lovelies. My name is Amina. I’m a writer, curator, producer, facilitator and all round empath, with a focus on creating and maintaining safe spaces for my fellow black beauts. I’m London based and more Somali than British.
I’m a Barbican Young Poets alumna, member of the Octavia WOC Poetry Collective, and co-host/producer for Boxedin. I often get the chance to perform my work, sometimes on this island, sometimes not. My writing explores displacement, dual cultural identity and family. In 2018, my work was studied by third year literature students at the University of Bristol exploring a module on Law, Race & Literature.
I produced and curated an Arts Council funded immersive installation and exhibition which toured at the Roundhouse, Free Word Centre and Black Cultural Archives in 2019/2020. Somalinimo (till I dhimo) X Dear Ayeeyo showcased an intimate 1990s migrant Somali living room space and photographic exhibition paying homage to rich Somali culture, Black Britishness, migration and creativity that arises from displacement. I was the recipient of the inaugral Frieze x Deustche BankCuratorial Fellowship, 2021-23 at Chisenhale Gallery, London.
My work has been featured in the anthology The Things I Would Tell You, published by Saqi Books, Rising Stars, published by Otter-Barry Books and Bath Magg. In 2019, I published my debut poetry pamphlet, A Warning To The House That Holds Me, with Flipped Eye Press. Previous authors published with Flipped Eye include Warsan Shire, Roger Robinson and Inua Ellams. The writing builds on the milestones and mythology of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo to perform a deeply personal act of reclaiming power. My pamphlet was a recipient of the 2020 Eric Gregory Awards.
creative fellowship at v&a
In 2023-24, I completed a Creative Fellowship with The Victoria and Albert Museum, London and the V&A Research Institute (VARI), London. The fellowship was embedded in the archives and the result was a poetry film entitled ‘Unearthed’.
WORKSHOPS.
Trained by Apples & Snakes and The Poetry Society, I have developed my skills as a workshop facilitator through shadowing poets such as Joelle Taylor and Rachel Long. At age 19, I was the Assistant Facilitator for the Roundhouse Poetry Collective. Since then, I have acquired a wealth of experience working with all ages from primary through to university students, as well as working specifically with SEN students and elderly communities. Drop me a line if you’d like me to run a workshop for your school or community groups.