A beautiful and powerful evening of SWANA poetry hosted by Antony Fangary.
the SWANA community(South West Asian, North African) if at all represented, is often characterized as a homogenous population, lacking diversity and any semblance of individualism. Join us tonight for a night of poetry, featuring different voices celebrating the multiplicities within the SWANA community. Supported by the San Francisco Arts Commission.
Justin Ebrahemi (he/they) is a San Francisco-based writer, spoken word artist and arts journalist of Persian descent. His publications span from grassroots zines to SFMOMA's Open Space platform and KQED performing arts coverage. He also published a book of poetry in 2018 entitled Ecdysis. In 2021 Justin was awarded the Radar Productions 'Show Us Your Spine' residency where he created his first poetry/dance film, using his original santoor score. His work mines queer Middle Eastern diaspora and personal experiences to subvert gendered constructs and dominant political ideology through eco-feminist prose, somatic movement, and rap lyricism. Justin is the Digital Engagement Manager at KQED Arts & Culture.
Sabina Khan-Ibarra is a Pashtun American writer and an educator. She is a recent San Francisco State University Graduate with an MFA in Creative Writing. Her poems, short stories and creative non fiction have been published in various journals and anthologies. She is currently working in her poetry collection, “Moving Mountains” and novel “The Poppy Flower.” She currently resides in Northern California with her husband, two children, six chickens, four rabbits, and two cats.
Hadas Lea Goshen is a San Francisco based poet and former journalist whose words have been published in the New York Times, the Oprah Magazine, CNN and more. Previously, Hadas served as a board member for SF's beloved literary non-profit Quiet Lightning, and hosted YouTube's monthly open mic series for musicians and writers. A former spoken word poet, Hadas has also competed on four national slam teams, and loves to share her words with live audiences. These days, you can find Hadas in the Mission, playing Wordle in the bath and reading poems to her plants.
Antony Fangary is a Poet, Educator, and Artist living in San Francisco. His paintings have been featured in Art Shows around San Francisco and Los Angeles. His chapbook, HARAM, was published by Etched Press in 2019. Antony was Honorable Mention of the Ina Coolbrith Poetry Prize, Finalist for the 2019 Wabash Poetry Prize, and Runner-up for the 2020 Test Site Poetry Series Book Prize. His work has received support from the San Francisco Arts Commission, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and the Center for Cultural Innovation. Antony holds a Masters of Fine Arts from San Francisco State University.