Caleb Femi

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.

Caleb Femi
Born1990 (age 32–33)
Kano, Nigeria
NationalityNigerian
Occupations
  • Author
  • Filmmaker
  • Photographer
Notable workPoor (2020)
AwardsFelix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection
Websitewww.calebfemi.com

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
  1. McConnell, Justine (21 July 2017). "Caleb Femi". writers make worlds. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  2. Peirson-Hagger, Ellen (28 October 2020). "Caleb Femi: 'Poetry is the art of the people'". New Statesman. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  3. 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.
  4. Flood, Alison (3 October 2016). "Poet Caleb Femi named first young people's laureate for London". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  5. "Poor by Caleb Femi". The Poetry Book Society. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  6. Bayley, Sian (25 October 2021). "Kennard, Femi and Sealey win Forward Prizes for Poetry". The Bookseller. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  7. "Caleb Femi". IMDb. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  8. Dazed (6 April 2017). "Vote for Caleb Femi on the #Dazed100". Dazed. Retrieved 20 October 2021.


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