THEY | FeliSpeaks

The tried to bury us, but they didn't know were seeds.'

Felicia Olusanya, known as FeliSpeaks, is changing the face of poetry in Ireland. A Nigerian-Irish poet from Longford, she began performing at poetry slams and spoken word events while a student in Maynooth, where she now lives.

FeliSpeaks’ work confronts issues of identity, race, gender and more in a strikingly individual style. Her poem ‘For our Mothers’ will be featured on the Leaving Certificate curriculum from 2023, and in 2020 she was commissioned by RTÉ to write and perform her poem ‘Still’, a reflection on Ireland’s experience of the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Ireland's Edge - The Podcast, she speaks with Christopher Kissane about the inspiration and story behind the spoken word piece, the unique emotional power of poetry, and why she is uncomfortable with being labeled and activist.

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