Poet & Writer; Author of "Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head"; Contributor to Beyoncé's "Lemonade"

Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Warsan Shire Biography

Warsan Shire is a Somali-British poet, writer, editor, and teacher recognized for her poetry exploring themes of identity, migration, and womanhood. Shire's poems have been translated into more than 20 languages and featured in literary publications such as The Poetry Review, Magma, and Wasafiri. She has presented her work at artistic venues across the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, North America, South Africa, and Kenya.

Shire's literary career began with the chapbook "Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth." She followed this with the pamphlet "Our Men Do Not Belong To Us" and the chapbook "Her Blue Body," which includes work from her tenure as the first Young Poet Laureate for London. Her poem "Home" has been widely used to support victims of the refugee crisis. Shire also recorded the spoken word album "warsan versus melancholy (the seven stages of loneliness)." She served as Poet in Residence for Queensland, Australia, collaborating with the Aboriginal Centre for Performing Arts.

Shire received the inaugural Brunel University African Poetry Prize and was named the first Young Poet Laureate for London. She was appointed a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and included in the Penguin Modern Poets series.

Shire's poetry reached a global audience through her collaboration with Beyoncé, writing for the Peabody Award–winning visual album "Lemonade" and the Disney film "Black Is King." She also wrote the short film "Brave Girl Rising," highlighting the experiences of Somali girls in Africa's largest refugee camp.

Shire published her first full collection of poems, "Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head," which explores migration, trauma, and womanhood. The collection was nominated for literary prizes including the Dylan Thomas Prize and the Griffin Poetry Prize. Shire's work addresses the experiences of refugees, immigrants, mothers, daughters, Black women, and teenage girls, contributing to ongoing conversations in contemporary poetry and literature.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 10/13/2026.

Warsan Shire Videos

Warsan Shire reads her poetry

Warsan Shire reads her poetry

89plus Marathon 2013: Warsan Shire - A Reading

89plus Marathon 2013: Warsan Shire - A Reading

Warsan Shire reads her poems, Ugly, The House, The Diet, What We Own, and Conversations About Home at the Deportation Centre. Warsan Shire is a...

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Warsan Shire is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book Warsan Shire for your event is available upon request. Warsan Shire generally travels from Los Angeles, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Boyah J. Farah, Alok Vaid-Menon, Malcolm London, Jennifer Brown and Shawn Achor. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Warsan Shire for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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