Nisha Patel

Nisha Patel is an award-winning disabled queer spoken word author & artist. She was the City of Edmonton’s 8th Poet Laureate, and is a Canadian Individual Poetry Slam Champion. Her debut poetry collection, COCONUT (NeWest Press) was a finalist for the ABPA Regional Book of the Year. Her sophomore poetry collection a fate worse than death is out now Arsenal Pulp Press. Nisha has taught creative writing, arts leadership, and more. She currently works for the Writers’ Guild of Alberta.

Nisha was awarded the Edmonton Artists’ Trust Fund Award, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal, and was a finalist of the Vallum Chapbook Award. Nominated for a Pushcart Prize, she has been published by filling station, GUTS magazine, THIS Magazine, Edify, New Trail, Glass Buffalo, The Polyglot, and more, and has works in anthologies with The City Series: Edmonton (Frog Hollow Press), COVID Collections, and Hush No More: Poetry and Art to End Rape Culture. Nisha holds a Masters of Arts in Cultural Studies from Queen’s University and is completing a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. She also holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta – Alberta School of Business.

Nisha works towards her goal of building a stronger artistic community through living in her truth. You can find her on social media @anothernisha

Photo Credit: Timiro Mohamed