Warsan Shire books

Warsan Shire is a Somali-British poet known for Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth and Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head, whose work gained worldwide attention through her collaboration with Beyonce on the visual album Lemonade.

Anthologies

Title Published Buy on Amazon
The Mouthmark Book of Poetry 2013 Buy
The Pity 2014 Buy
Seven New Generation African Poets 2014 Buy
Halal If You Hear Me 2019 Buy
Too Young, Too Loud, Too Different 2021 Buy

Collections

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth 2011 Buy
Our Men Do Not Belong to Us 2014 N/A
Her Blue Body 2015 Buy
Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head 2022 Buy

“Warsan Shire is a Somali-British poet who was born in Kenya, raised in London, and writes about the experience of existing between cultures. Her chapbook Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth appeared in 2011, and her poems spread widely online before her work was featured in Beyonce’s Lemonade in 2016. Her first full-length collection, Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head, came out in 2022.”

“Shire’s poetry deals with migration, family, violence, womanhood, and the body — often in the same poem. Her language is direct and image-driven, and her lines tend to stick in the reader’s mind long after reading. She has contributed to several anthologies including Seven New Generation African Poets and Halal If You Hear Me, and was appointed the first Young Poet Laureate of London in 2013.”

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Warsan Shire written?

Warsan Shire has written nine books across two series.

What was Warsan Shire's first book?

Warsan Shire’s first book is Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth, published in 2011.

How did Warsan Shire become widely known?

“Shire’s poetry reached a global audience when Beyonce used her work as the narrative backbone of the 2016 visual album Lemonade. Lines from Shire’s poems were spoken throughout the film, introducing her writing to millions of listeners who might never have encountered contemporary poetry otherwise. Before that, she had already built a significant following through chapbooks and social media, where her poems about migration, identity, and womanhood resonated with readers around the world.”

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