Episode 10: Nisha Patel & Timiro Mohamed

In this episode, poets Nisha Patel and Timiro Mohamed discuss storytelling, community building, and using art for activism, all through the lens of their experiences as the City of Edmonton’s Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate.

Nisha Patel is an award-winning queer poet & artist. She is the City of Edmonton’s Poet Laureate, and the 2019 Canadian Individual Slam Champion, and the 2021 Regional Writer in Residence with the Strathcona County Library. She is a recipient of the Edmonton Artists’ Trust Fund Award and the University of Alberta Alumni Award of Excellence. Her debut collection COCONUT is available in April with Newest Press. You can find her at nishapatel.ca.

Timiro Mohamed is an award-winning Somali-Canadian spoken word poet based in Edmonton, Alberta.  Her practice is rooted in responsible storytelling and celebrates her many identities. She is passionate about creating platforms for BIPOC artists and as part of her tenure as the 2019- 2020 City of Edmonton Youth Poet Laureate, she spearheaded a poetry mentorship program. She is the youth programs manager and artist in residence at a local non-profit, the co-creator of the virtual open-mic series The Chatroom, and is a Poetry Editor for the literary magazine: The Drinking Gourd which highlights the voices of Black Muslim writers. Timiro has competed nationally at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word and is the co-author of the chapbook Water. Timiro has had the opportunity to perform for the Edmonton city council, has presented alongside former Premier Rachel Notley, and has opened for Grammy-nominated artist Yasiin Bey.