Selina Nwulu is a woman of precise words and deep impact. For many years, she’s written and performed poems that speak directly to social issues and modern life. She’s described herself as “a writer, poet and researcher with a central focus on social and environmental justice, identity politics and equality,” all identities and insights that come through strongly in her poetry. It’s, therefore, no surprise that last week she was announced as the new Young Poet Laureate for London.
Young Poet Laureate for London is a position awarded annually to a London poet between the ages of 21—30 who demonstrates great talent and potential. A poet with bold work, who explores complicated subjects such as oil exploitation in the Niger Delta and Syrian Refugees in Europe, Selina is the third recipient of the award.
Rarely do we see political issues handled so beautifully. Selina is clearly well-aware of the power of poetry; in a recent article she wrote: “[w]ith poetry you can reimagine and challenge things in a way that sometimes you might not be able to in everyday conversation.” Yet, as her poetry gains more attention, it’s sure to start many conversations. Pieces such as “Home is a Hostile Lover” are both emotionally captivating and intellectually stimulating:
Selina has been active in the poetry world this year, running poetry workshops for organizations such as The Battersea Arts Centre and performing at events such as the Edinburgh Festival and Glastonbury. This year has also seen the publication of Selina’s first poetry collection, The Secrets I Let Slip, published last month by Burning Eye Books.
As part of her new role, Selina will be running workshops and attending events across London, both engaging creatively with her peers and inspiring the next generation of poets. I look forward to hearing more from her this year, and I’m sure we have a lot more in store from this talented and intelligent poet.
Follow Selina on Twitter: @selinanwulu
