Caleb Femi | |
---|---|
Born | 1990 (age 33–34) |
Nationality | Nigerian |
Occupations |
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Notable work | Poor (2020) |
Awards | Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection |
Website | www |
Caleb Femi (born 1990) is a British-Nigerian author, film-maker, photographer, and former young people's laureate for London. His debut poetry collection, Poor, was awarded a Forward Prize for Poetry.
Early life
Femi was born in 1990 in Kano, Nigeria,[1] where he was brought up by his grandmother.[2] When he was seven years old, he moved to join his parents on the North Peckham Estate in London.[3] After leaving school, he studied English at Queen Mary, University of London.[2]
Career
From 2014 to 2016 Femi taught English at a secondary school in Tottenham.[2] In 2016 he was chosen as the first young people's laureate for London.[4] On 30 July 2020, he published his debut poetry collection, entitled Poor,[5] which won the Forward Prize's Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection in October 2021.[6]
Filmography
Femi has so far made and released four short films, serving as writer/director on each:[7]
- And They Knew Light (2017)
- Wishbone (2018)
- Secret Life of Gs (2019)
- Survivor's Guilt (2020)
Accolades
Femi was named in Dazed magazine's 2021 Dazed100, a list of the next generation shaping youth culture.[8]
References
- ↑ McConnell, Justine (21 July 2017). "Caleb Femi". writers make worlds. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
- 1 2 3 Peirson-Hagger, Ellen (28 October 2020). "Caleb Femi: 'Poetry is the art of the people'". New Statesman. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- ↑ Armitstead, Claire (30 October 2020). "Caleb Femi: 'Henceforth I'm solely preoccupied with being a merchant of joy'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
- ↑ Flood, Alison (3 October 2016). "Poet Caleb Femi named first young people's laureate for London". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- ↑ "Poor by Caleb Femi". The Poetry Book Society. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
- ↑ Bayley, Sian (25 October 2021). "Kennard, Femi and Sealey win Forward Prizes for Poetry". The Bookseller. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
- ↑ "Caleb Femi". IMDb. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
- ↑ Dazed (6 April 2017). "Vote for Caleb Femi on the #Dazed100". Dazed. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
External links
- Official website
- Caleb Femi on IMDb
- Bridget Minamore, "Get Up, Stand Up Now: Q&A with poet and director Charles Femi", Somerset House, 28 August 2019