Yrsa daley biography lgbt

Yrsa Daley-Ward, a poet, writer, and model of Jamaican and Nigerian heritage, has emerged as a significant voice in contemporary literature.
Yrsa Daley-Ward, who is of West Indian and West African descent, is part of a small, elite community of black writers who are breaking down barriers.
As a young, black, LGBTQ female, she's often said that she feels “invisible”in the literary world and maintains that poetry has a long way to go.

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Interview: Yrsa Daley-Ward

» Interview

Yrsa Daley-Ward was born to immigrant parents (Jamaican and Nigerian) in England, then lived in South Africa for several years as she pursued a career in modeling. It was in South Africa that she encountered the slam and spoken-word poetry community and began writing. She has now published three books—a collection of short stories, On Snakes and Other Stories (2013); a collection of poems, Bone (2014; 2017); and, most recently a memoir, The Terrible (2018). Daley-Ward considers herself an activist for feminist, LGBTQ+, and mental health issues, but expressed the hope that her writing is for everyone.

Lisa Roney for The Florida Review:

It’s rare to find a fashion model who becomes a poet. I read that you had come across a slam poetry event, a spoken-word poetry event when you lived in South Africa. I thought that was a wonderful story. Did that inspire your frankness? It’s interesting to think about you as this very independent person who speaks about the fashion industry in this very honest way and yet still particip

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Yrsa Daley-Ward - ‘We’ve all experienced the same emotions’

HER SURNAMES are Irish, her parentage is Afro-Carribean, she grew up with Seventh Day Adventists, and she is an LGBT writer; Yrsa Daley-Ward is a one-woman rainbow coalition. This month, Cúirt audiences can savour her exhilaratingly raw and sensual writing when she reads at the Town Hall Theatre.

Born to a Jamaican mother and Nigerian father, Yrsa was raised by her devout Seventh Day Adventist grandparents in the small Lancashire town of Chorley. Her collection of stories On Snakes and Other Stories was published in 2013. Bone, mixing poetry and stories, was published last year. One critic wrote that the book "cleaved my heart in two halves and I let it...Her words burst with pain, with joy, with that thing in yourself you have neglected, with Yes (and also with no ). I feel like I know her intimately. More than that, I feel like she knows me."

Ahead of her Galway visit, Yrsa talked with me about her life and work and I began by asking about those childhood years with her grandparents. “

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Transcending Boundaries: Yrsa Daley-Ward’s Impact on Poetry and LGBTQ+ Representation

Yrsa Daley-Ward, a poet, writer, and model of Jamaican and Nigerian heritage, has emerged as a significant voice in contemporary literature, particularly noted for her raw, emotive poetry and storytelling that transcends conventional boundaries. Her work, which includes notable publications such as “bone” and “The Terrible,” delves into personal experiences, identity, race, sexuality, and mental health, offering profound insights into the complexities of life.

Yrsa Daley-Ward grew up in the north of England and was raised by her devout Seventh-day Adventist grandparents. The challenges of her early life, including struggles with her identity and sexuality, have deeply influenced her writing. Before becoming a renowned poet, Daley-Ward worked as a model and actor, experiences that she credits with giving her unique insights into the world of storytelling and performance.

Literary Contributions

Daley-Ward’s literary debut, “bone,” was se