Yalie Kamara

Yalie Saweda Kamara earned a Ph.D. in creative writing and English literature from the University of Cincinnati after an MFA in creative writing from Indiana University, an M.A. in French culture & civilization from Middlebury College, and BA in both creative writing and languages (Portuguese & French) from the University of California, Riverside. A Sierra Leonean-American writer and educator, Kamara is currently the Cincinnati and Mercantile Library Poet Laureate (two-year term). She is the editor of a recently released anthology and the author of two chapbooks and the debut poetry collection, Besaydoo (Milkweed Editions, 2024). Kamara’s activity in the Cincinnati community has included her engagement with WordPlay Cincy, where she served as a teaching artist and the director of creative youth leadership.