Safia Elhillo

About the Author

Safia Elhillo is an acclaimed Sudanese-American poet whose work intricately weaves the threads of identity, migration, and cultural heritage into vibrant tapestries of language. Born in Washington, D.C., and raised between the United States and Sudan, her poetry often explores the nuances of diaspora, the echoes of lost homelands, and the rhythms of belonging in a fractured world. Elhillo's debut collection, The January Children (African Poetry Book), earned her the prestigious 2016 Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets, while her contributions to The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 3: Halal If You Hear Me highlight her innovative voice in contemporary spoken word and hip-hop-infused literature. A Cave Canem fellow and winner of the 2016 Boston Review Poetry Prize, she teaches at Dartmouth College, where she continues to inspire a new generation of writers to embrace the power of verse in reclaiming narratives.