Nisha Patel is the Poet Laureate Emeritus of the City of Edmonton. An award-winning disabled and queer artist, she is a Canadian Poetry Slam Champion and holds a Master of Arts in Cultural Studies from Queen's University, and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta. Her debut poetry collection, COCONUT (NeWest Press) was a finalist of the ABPA Regional Book of the Year and her latest work, a fate worse than death, is out now. She is currently finishing her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia, where she is writing her first graphic novel.Nisha was awarded the Edmonton Artists’ Trust Fund Award and is a finalist of the Vallum Chapbook Award. Nominated for a Pushcart Prize, she has been published by GUTS, filling station, THIS Magazine, and more, and has works in anthologies with The City Series, COVID Collections, and Hush No More: Poetry and Art to End Rape Culture. Nisha has performed and taught workshops across Canada. She has acted as the Metro Edmonton Libraries Writer in Residence, the Nook Cafe Artist in Residence, and the Sewing Machine Factory Artist in Residence. She was also a Festival Producer and Executive Director of the Edmonton Poetry Festival. Her website is nishapatel.ca and you can find her online @anothernisha
Listed skills include Public Speaking, Leadership, Teamwork, Debate, and 18 others.