Sheniz Janmohamed

Poet, Spoken Word Artist

Toronto
Canada
CA
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Author's Bio

Sheniz Janmohamed was born and raised in Tkaronto with ancestral ties to Kenya and India. A poet, artist educator and nature artist, Sheniz is a graduate of the MFA in Creative Writing program at the University of Guelph.

Sheniz has been performing her poetry nationally and internationally for 15 years, including fea- tures at the Jaipur Literature Festival, Aga Khan Museum, and Vancouver Writers Fest to name a few. Her writing has been published in Arc Poetry Magazine, Descant and Canthius and she is a regular reviewer for Quill & Quire. She has three collections of poetry, published by Mawenzi House: Bleeding Light (2010), Firesmoke (2014) and Reminders on the Path (2021).

Her nature art has been featured across Turtle Island, including the National Arts Centre, MOCA and the Art Gallery of Mississauga.

A recipient of the Lois Birkenshaw-Fleming Creative Teaching Scholarship, Sheniz holds an Artist Educator Mentor certification from the Royal Conservatory. She visits dozens of cities and schools to offer performances, talks and workshops in poetry and nature art. She is a firm believer in foster- ing community through collaboration and creativity, bringing an equity-informed lens to her mentor- ships and workshop programs, with an emphasis on access and intersectionality. She is the founder and facilitator of Owning our Stories, the first writing circle of its kind for South Asian women in Ontario.

Sheniz recently served as the Writer-in-Residence at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus (Winter/Spring 2022).

To find out more about her work, visit: www.shenizjanmohamed.com

Publications & Prizes

Poetry

Anthology:
Yellow as Turmeric, Fragrant as Cloves: A Contemporary Anthology of Asian American Women's Poetry (Deep Bowl Press, 2008)
Books:
Reminders on the Path (Mawenzi House, 2021)
,
Firesmoke (Mawenzi House, 2014)
,
Bleeding Light (TSAR Publications, 2010)
Journal:
Poetry Canada Magazine

Spoken Word

Performances:
Masala! Mehndi! Masti! Festival, The Fountain Room, Queen Elizabeth Building, CNE (2010)
,
DISHOOM! South Asian Performance Festival, Factory Theatre (125 Bathurst St, Toronto) (2009)
,
For Haiti (Markaz Shisha Lounge, 222 Richmond Street W, Toronto) (2009)
,
Hersterics, Toronto Women's Bookstore (73 Harbord Street, Toronto) (2009)
,
Mini Shebang High School Tour, Dreamwalker Dance Company (Various high schools in Toronto) (2009)
,
Word, An Aerial Poetry Jam (326 Carlaw Avenue,Toronto) (2009)
,
Toronto Poets Saturday Night Love (Ritz Caribbean Restaurant, Toronto) (2008)
,
Underground Sounds, The Central (603 Markham St, Toronto) (2007)

More Information

Gives readings: 
Yes
Travels for readings: 
Yes
Identifies as: 
South Asian
Prefers to work with: 
Adults, At Risk Youth, LGBTQ, Naturalists/Environmentalists, Seniors, Teachers, Teenagers
Fluent in: 
English
Born in: 
Toronto
Canada
Raised in: 
Toronto, ON
Canada
Ontario
Please note: All information in the Directory is provided by the listed writers or their representatives.
Last update: Nov 10, 2022