Poets of Colour You Need To Check Out

I have to say that I personally need to get a lot better at broaden the range of poets that I read to be way more inclusive and to shop from Black owned bookstores and/or publishers. So anyway, I decided this week instead of posting one of my own poems I would tell you about ten poets who I adore reading, and that you should definitely check out! Some are very big poets and others are poets I've discovered on Instagram. However, all of them are equally deserving of your time. This is only a list of ten spectacular poets and there are many more out there!

Maya Angelou: I mean this one is really a no brainer, and also probably one most of you know, Angelou is one of the first names that inspired me to get into poetry, and her work is nothing short of exceptional.

Jackie Kay - Honestly, I must have been living under a rock to not have read Kay's work yet. Kay is currently the poet laureate of Scotland and rightly so! I have been reading Red, Cherry Red over and over again during lockdown and cannot wait to check out the rest of her work.

Natysha (@natyshawrites): I came across Natysha's work on Instagram one day and I was hooked, Her poetry always flows with such purpose. I also believe she has a book coming out soon, which I am psyched to read! You can also check out Natysha's work on her website.

Courtney Ama Stoddart: I first heard Courtney's work on the livestream of Edinburgh's Black Lives Matter Protest and I was hooked. She performs passionately and writes the truth with a conviction that is not easy to come by. You can check out Courtney's work here.

Claudia Rankine: Rankine is a poet who I've discovered recently and I can't wait to read more of her work. I am particularly enamoured with her poem 'There was a Time'.

Fred Moten: Fred Moten not only has a way with words, but also with structure and his poems are beautiful enough to have framed on a wall.

Harryette Mullen: I particularly love Mullen's poem 'Still Waiting'

Morgan Parker: Parker writes with a certain fearlessness that is hard to come by. I'm a big fan of her poem 'Quiet Alcohol'.

Al'E The Poet: Another poet I found on Instagram and loved. Not only are his words powerful but his feed is beautiful. You can check out more of his work here.

4 Brown Girls Who Write: Wha't's better than one poet? 4 poets of course, and these girls are it right here! Check them out.