Malika Booker

Malika Booker is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at the Manchester Writing School, Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU). She holds an MA in Creative Writing and Life Writing from Goldsmiths, University of London (Distinction) and a BSc in Anthropology from the same institution. Her work spans poetry, theatre, and creative writing pedagogy, with notable publications including the Poetry Book Society-recommended Breadfruit and the award-winning collection Pepper Seed. She is the founder of Malika’s Poetry Kitchen, a writing collective fostering emerging poets since 2001.

Research & Creative Output: Her research interests include Black British and Caribbean poetry, confessional writing, and poetry performance. Her theatre works—such as Absolution (1999), UNPLANNED (2007), and Catwalk (2001)—explore themes of cultural identity and women’s issues. Recent projects include a BBC-commissioned poem about Mars (2019) and an R&D commission for her next play.

Awards & Recognition: Malika has received the prestigious Society of Authors Cholmondleley Award (2019), Forward Prize shortlisting (2017), and OCM Bocas Prize longlisting (2014). She has also been a Douglas Caster Cultural Fellow, LHRI Fellow at Leeds University (2015–2017), and inaugural Poet in Residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company (2010).

Teaching & Leadership: She teaches MA/MFA courses in creative writing at MMU and chairs the Manchester Poetry Prize. Her pedagogy emphasizes inspiring new writers while exploring the craft’s interdisciplinary potential. She has judged the Forward Prize (2016) and remains active in mentoring emerging talent through her Poetry Kitchen initiative.