Zoeglossia Names 2023 Cohort of Fellows

Sixteen disabled poets have been selected for the 2023 class of Zoeglossia Fellows. The five-year fellowship provides an open and supportive community for artistic and  professional development through year-round online programming and an annual Retreat. 

“This year, because we received so many applications—178 in total—, we turned to outside readers and judges to help us make the selections,” said Sheila Black, Zoeglossia co-founder and interim executive director. "A huge thanks to our selection committee, including first-round readers Mary Mussman and Noor Al-Samarrai and final selection committee members Allison Adele Hedge Coke, Dan Vera, and Zoeglossia’s Saleem Hue Penny. This was Zoeglossia's most competitive pool to date. We were just blown away by the quality of the applications and the level of talent out there. Honestly, it was a very difficult series of decisions, and we are thrilled to welcome our new fellows into the community.”

The 2023 Zoeglossia Fellows are (in alphabetical order): 

Johanna Bear

Kwame Daniels

Rel Feannag

Jonathan Fletcher

Sabrina Jamaal-Edine

Petra Kuppers

恖霝 Si-Ling

Ren L(i)u

Olivia Muenz

Karĩmi Ndwiga

Olivia Pepper

Kris Ringman

Armaam Singh

Norah Tafere

Bri Joy Yakshini-Moore

Su Zi

“This incoming cohort highlights traditionally disregarded communities, spanning career stages with intersecting identities and demographics, including gender identities, ethnic and cultural identities, rural/isolated geographies, and poetry styles,” said Saleem Hue Penny, Zoeglossia director of programs and partnership. “We are very excited for the diversity which highlights the range of disabled poets.” 

To learn more about the 2023 Zoeglossia fellows, read their bios on the About page.

These newly named fellows, along with 8 returning fellows, will attend this year’s Retreat hosted by New Mexico State University on May 10-14. To protect the health and wellbeing of community members, the Retreat will be held entirely online. 

About the Organization

Zoeglossia is an emerging literary organization that dedicates itself to providing inclusive space for poets and writers who identify as disabled. Founded by poets Jennifer Bartlett, Connie Voisine, and Sheila Black, Zoeglossia fosters and promotes the work of poets with disabilities through publishing, residencies, readings, and the annual Retreat.

In Zoeglossia’s continued effort to support writers with disabilities, they recently attended the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) conference in Seattle, where they talked about the goals and history of the organization. To learn more about the recent event, check out the video on YouTube. You can also follow Zoeglossia on social media @Zoeglossia, or email zoeglossia@zoeglossia.org.