Safia Elhillo (; born December 16, 1990) is a Sudanese-American poet known for her written and spoken poetry. Elhillo received a BA degree from the Gallatin School at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

and an MFA in poetry from

The New School The New School is a Private university, private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1919 as The New School for Social Research with an original mission dedicated to academic freedom and intellectual inquiry and a home for p ...

. Elhillo has performed all around the world. She has won acclaim for her work and has been the recipient of several prestigious poetry awards.Elhillo, Safia
"Bio"
Safia-Mafia website, 2017. Retrieved March 20, 2017. Elhillo has shared the stage with notable poets such as

Sonia Sanchez Sonia Sanchez (born Wilsonia Benita Driver; September 8, 1934) is an American poet, writer, and professor. She was a leading figure in the Black Arts Movement and has written over a dozen books of poetry, as well as short stories, critical essays ...

and has taught at Split This Rock and

Tin House ''Tin House'' is an American literary magazine and book publisher based in Portland, Oregon, and New York City. History Portland publisher Win McCormack originally conceived the idea for a literary magazine called ''Tin House'' in the summer ...

Summer Workshop.

Early life

Elhillo was born on December 16, 1990, in

Rockville, Maryland Rockville is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, and is part of the Washington metropolitan area. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census tabulated Rockville's population at 67,117, making it the fourth ...

, to Sudanese parents. She was raised

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

Career

Her poems have appeared in many publications, including ''

Poetry Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...

'', ''

Callaloo Callaloo ( , ; many spelling variants, such as kallaloo, calaloo, calalloo, calaloux, or callalloo) is a plant used in popular dishes in many Caribbean countries, while for other Caribbean countries, a stew made with the plant is called call ...

'', and the

Academy of American Poets The Academy of American Poets is a national, member-supported organization that promotes poets and the art of poetry. The nonprofit organization was incorporated in the state of New York in 1934. It fosters the readership of poetry through outrea ...

’ Poem-a-day series, among others, and in anthologies including ''The BreakBeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hop'', ''Women of Resistance: Poems for a New Feminism'', and ''

New Daughters of Africa ''Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Words and Writings by Women of African Descent from the Ancient Egyptian to the Present'' is a compilation of orature and literature by more than 200 women from Africa and the African diaspora ...

''. Elhillo has shared her work on platforms such as TEDxNewYork,

Under Armour Under Armour, Inc. is an American sportswear company that manufactures footwear and clothing, apparel headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. History 20th century Under Armour was founded on September 25, 1996, by Kevin Plank, a ...

’s ''Unlike Any'' campaign, the

South African State Theatre The State Theatre in Pretoria, South Africa is the largest theatre complex in Africa. It was known until 1999 as the Pretoria State Theatre. History The theatre was built on the old Market Square in Pretoria for use by PACT (Performing Arts ...

, the

New Amsterdam Theatre The New Amsterdam Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 214 West 42nd Street (Manhattan), 42nd Street, at the southern end of Times Square, in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Manhattan in New York City, New Yor ...

on Broadway, and TV1's ''Verses & Flow''.

Awards

Elhillo has been nominated for the

Pushcart Prize The Pushcart Prize is an American literary prize published by Pushcart Press that honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in the small presses over the previous year. Magazine and small book press editors are ...

, receiving special mention for the 2016 Pushcart Prize. She was a co-winner of the 2015

Brunel University African Poetry Prize The Brunel International African Poetry Prize is a literary award aimed at the "development, celebration and promotion of poetry from Africa." The prize is sponsored by Brunel University and Bernardine Evaristo. In the past it has been partnered by ...

, won the 2016 Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets, and has received fellowships and residencies from Cave Canem, The Conversation, and SPACE on Ryder Farm, among others. Her collection ''The January Children'' won a 2018

Arab American Book Award The Arab American Book Award, established in 2006, is an annual literary award to celebrate and support the research of, and the written work of, Arab Americans and their culture. The Arab American Book Award encourages the publication and excelle ...

, receiving the George Ellenbogen Poetry Award, the first Sudanese American author to win the award. In 2018, she was also listed in ''

Forbes Africa ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The c ...

''s "30 Under 30" in the Creatives category. Elhillo received a 2018 Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Fellowship from

the Poetry Foundation The Poetry Foundation is a United States literary society that seeks to promote poetry and lyricism in the wider culture. It was formed from ''Poetry'' magazine, which it continues to publish, with a 2003 gift of $200 million from philanthrop ...

. From 2019 to 2021, she was a Wallace Stegner Fellow at

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

. In 2025, Elhillo's ''Bright Red Fruit'' was a

Michael L. Printz Award The Michael L. Printz Award is an American Library Association literary award that annually recognizes the "best book written for teens, based entirely on its literary merit". It is sponsored by ''Booklist'' magazine; administered by the ALA's ...

honor book.

Works

Full-length collections

* ''The January Children'' (University of Nebraska Press, 2017). * ''Home Is Not A Country'' (Penguin Random House, 2021). * ''Girls That Never Die: Poems'' (Penguin Random House, 2022). * ''Bright Red Fruit'' (Penguin Random House, 2024).

Chapbooks

* ''ars poetica'' (MIEL, 2016) * ''a suite for ol' dirty'' (MIEL, 2016) * ''Asmarani'' (Akashic Books, 2016) * ''The Life and Times of Susie Knuckles'' (Well & Often Press, 2012)

Themes

In ''The January Children'', Elhillo explores themes of belonging and identity, particularly in the context of migration and nationality. In "Bright Red Fruit", Elhillo explores the complexities of identity and the longing for love using both verse and narrative.

References

External links

Official website

"Writer Safia Elhillo talks representation, inspiration, and the heterogeneity of her identity"
Council on African Studies, Yale MacMillan Center, November 13, 2017.
Poets.org Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elhillo, Safia Living people 21st-century American women writers American people of Sudanese descent New York University Gallatin School of Individualized Study alumni The New School alumni 21st-century American poets 1990 births Sudanese women poets American women poets African-American poets 21st-century African-American women writers 21st-century African-American writers 21st-century Sudanese poets Stegner Fellows