Somali poet Warsan Shire on her African poetry award

Somali poet Warsan Shire has won the UK’s Brunel University inaugural prize for African Poetry.

 

The prize is for African poets who have not yet published a full-length poetry collection, and entrants had to submit a total of 10 poems.

There were 655 entries and Ms Shire was chosen from a shortlist of six.

“I’ve never been to Somalia, and I’m Somali. So the poems for me are a way of creating a connection to a country I’ve never been to. I don’t know how it feels to belong, or to be home or anything like that,” the 24 year old told BBC Africa.

Ms Shire, who was born in Kenya to Somali parents and now lives in London, gave her reaction to the award.

 

 

BBC