EMPA 2022 Panel

Vahni (Anthony Ezekiel) Capildeo FRSL is a Trinidadian–Scottish writer of poetry and non-fiction. Capildeo’s eight books and nine pamphlets include Like a Tree, Walking (Carcanet, November 2021) and The Dusty Angel (Oystercatcher, 2021). Their interests include plurilingualism, traditional masquerade, and multidisciplinary collaboration. They are Writer in Residence and Professor at the University of York, a Visiting Scholar at Pembroke College, Cambridge, and an Honorary Student of Christ Church, Oxford. rcwlitagency.com/authors/vahni-capildeo/

Maria Fusco is a working-class Belfast-born writer based in Glasgow. Her work is translated into ten languages and she has been described by Richard Skinner as “one of the wittiest, most adroit and vibrant writers in the UK.” She is currently Professor of Interdisciplinary Writing at the University of Dundee. mariafusco.net

Gillebride MacMillan is a distinguished Scottish Gaelic songwriter and poet, as well as a renowned singer. A native Gaelic speaker from South Uist, Gillebride is the Head of Celtic & Gaelic Studies at The University of Glasgow. He edits the Gaelic literary magazine Steall and is a much sought after translator and educator. www.gillebride.com

Scottish BPOC Writers Network (SBWN) is an advocacy and professional development group for writers from or based in Scotland who identify as BPOC (Black people, People of Colour). www.scottishbpocwritersnetwork.org

Sanctuary Queer Arts is Scotland’s newest arts organisation for LGBTQIA+ folx. Their hope is to add solace, stimulation and safety for queer people and allies in Scotland. They’re passionate about amplifying LGBTQIA+ voices. They do this by creating artistic development opportunities for queer performance makers (of all ages and experience) and bringing the community together for events, workshops, performances and celebrations. sanctuaryqueerarts.com

Alycia Pirmohamed is the author of the chapbooks Hinge (ignitionpress), Faces that Fled the Wind (BOAAT Press), and co-author with Pratyusha of Second Memory (Guillemot Press and Baseline Press). Her debut collection, Another Way to Split Water, is forthcoming with YesYes Books and Polygon Books in 2022. She is the co-founder of the Scottish BAME Writers Network, a co-organiser of the Ledbury Poetry Critics Programme, and a Junior Anniversary Fellow at IASH via the University of Edinburgh. In 2020, Alycia won the Edwin Morgan Poetry Award. alycia-pirmohamed.com 

Nadine Aisha Jassat is an award-winning writer and author of poetry collection Let Me Tell You This (‘beautifully written, immense and full of passion’ – Nikita Gill,  ‘a joy both live and on the page’ – Hollie McNish.)  She has drawn significant acclaim: including winning a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award, the UK Open Call for the British Council’s Discover Project, and being shortlisted for the Outspoken London Poetry Prize and the prestigious Edwin Morgan Poetry Award. She has taught creative writing across the UK, including for the Arvon Foundation and BBC Words First. She was named by Jackie Kay in her International Literature Showcase selection, with Kay writing: ‘Hers is a powerful, unforgettable new voice.’ https://www.nadineaishaj.com/about