Performance Poet - Writer
Ayan Aden
global community
East African Somali
exhibit
Poetry
A Bit About Me…
Ayan Aden is a poet who performs with purpose. Birmingham’s 24th Poet Laureate (2024–2026), she is the youngest and first Somali Muslim to hold the title.
Her words have moved audiences from Parliament to poetry slams, TEDx stages to global festivals—earning her international acclaim and awards including the EU Silisiladda Nabadda Prize and the Run Your Mouth Slam '23. Ayan’s voice is both protest and prayer, echoing her work as a community activist and ethical gemologist.
Beyond the stage, Ayan works at the heart of community and creativity. With over five years’ experience as a consultant, she has collaborated with leading UK institutions to champion access, equity, and imagination in the arts.
She sits on the Strategic Advisory Board for Birmingham Arts School, where she helps shape the future of arts education. A trained gemologist, Ayan also explores ethical mining and sustainability—bringing care, consciousness, and cultural responsibility into every facet of her work. Through poetry and purpose, she sparks dialogue and reimagines what a more just, inspired world might look like.
My inspiration comes from…
My work is rooted in the belief that storytelling is a form of power—and poetry, its most intimate vessel. Through my practice, I explore how poetry can not only give voice to the silenced but also serve as a catalyst for community, healing, and transformation.
At the heart of my work is a commitment to helping others tell their stories on their own terms. When people are empowered to speak their truths through art, dialogue begins. Walls come down. Perspectives shift. And with that shift, change becomes possible.
I see poetry not just as an art form, but as a tool for reclaiming narrative, challenging societal norms, and building bridges between us. Because if we don’t tell our stories—honestly, boldly, and in our own words—who will?
The Story…
This piece is rooted in the quiet ache of our most human question: what if?
Our minds, ever restless, sift through endless possibilities—comparing, questioning, reimagining. This work is a dialogue with the self, a meditation on uncertainty, and the beauty of not having all the answers.
It gives shape to the invisible wanderings of thought—the loops we trace while trying to make sense of shifting realities. In many ways, overthinking becomes a refuge, a gentle escape. A way to soothe the discomfort of not knowing by building castles of imagined outcomes.
But in that spiral lies a strange kind of peace: the realization that we don’t need to have it all figured out. That uncertainty is not a void, but a place of possibility. And that maybe, just maybe, the not-knowing is a kind of knowing too.
A Hidden Hero to Highlight…
Habo Fadumo Siciid is more than a community leader—she is a cultural cornerstone, an educator, and a living archive of resilience and connection. For over two decades, she has poured her heart into building bridges between generations, nurturing a sense of belonging that ripples far beyond borders.
Whether teaching traditional dances, organizing community trips, or holding space for honest conversations between elders and youth, her work is rooted in love, legacy, and healing.
A tireless advocate, she continues to fundraise for her homeland, never losing sight of the global threads that tie our stories together. She has raised not just children, but entire generations—grounding them in pride, confidence, and the power of collective care.
Her presence is quiet strength, her impact immeasurable. Habo is, without question, one of our unsung heroes—a daily reminder of what it means to live a life in service of others.
MORE OF MY WORK
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