7 inspirational Birmingham poets who need to be on your radar

Birmingham poets
Ashley M. Jones is the founder and director of the Magic City Poetry Festival. Photo by Jennifer Alsabrook-Turner via Ashely Jone’s website.

Words have the power to heal, inspire, motivate and move us toward change. Those behind them possess true talent and Birmingham is full of incredible poets and literary writers using their creativity to educate and move us forward. Learn more about just a few putting a spark in the Magic City.

1. Ashley M. Jones

Birmingham poets
Photo by Joel Brouwer Photo via Create Birmingham’s website

2. Brian Voice Porter Hawkins

Bham Now Starbucks
Brian Voice Porter Hawkins of the Color Ensley Project attended the pre-opening event on Aug. 29. Photo via the Birmingham City Council.
  • About Voice: Summarizing Voice as just a poet would be placing him in an extremely cramped box. He’s a huge part of helping Birmingham grow through initiatives such as Ensley Alive and Bards&Brews.
  • Why you should care: We actually have 5 reasons for you, including his dedication to building Birmingham’s community.
  • Get in touch: Visit Ensley Alive’s website

3. Tina Mozelle Braziel

Tina Mozelle
Photo by Jennifer Alsabrook-Turner via Tina Mozelle Braziel‘s website
  • About Tina: A published author, Tina directs the Ada Long Creative Writing Workshop at UAB. According to her bio, she also lives in a glass cabin, which I’d love an invite to one day.
  • Why you should care: The Ada Long workshop encourages aspiring writers and poets to connect and communicate with each other—growing their skillsets.
  • Get in touch: Visit Tina’s website and Twitter

4. Salaam Green

Birmingham poets
Photo via Create Birmingham’s website

5. Desai Ogada

Birmingham poets
Photo via DeSai Ogada’s Twitter
  • About Desai: In addition to sharing his talents with Birmingham, Desai is also the co-founder of the Lagnet Theater Company in Kenya.
  • Why you should care: DeSai is an active creator and theater artist in Birmingham. The subjects of his writing often include theatre, poetry, and poly-culturalism.
  • Get in touch: Visit Desai’s blog and Twitter

6. Javacia Harris Bowser

Javacia Bowser
Photo via Javacia’s website
  • About Javacia: Javacia founded the award-winning literary website See Jane Write. She’s also a freelance writer using her words to bring life to multiple local and national publications.
  • Why you should care: See Jane Write is a fantastic resource for women in the literary world and is a great place to get connected and learn from other local writers.
  • Get in touch: Learn how you can work with Javacia or reach out through email

7. Elizabeth Hughey

Birmingham poets
Photo via Elizabeth Hughey’s website.
  • About Elizabeth: Elizabeth is the co-founder and Programming Director of the Desert Island Supply Co (DISCO), a literary arts center that works alongside students as they develop creative tools for the future. She’s also a published author
  • Why you should care: DISCO is doing incredible work in Birmingham by giving kids more opportunities and resources to be creative and write. It also allows them to learn from other creatives in our city.
  • Get in touch: Visit Elizabeth’s website and Twitter

We know Birmingham has SO many more creative writers running amazing inititaives in our city. Give us a shout on social @bhamnow for who we should include in our next guide.

Irene Richardson
Irene Richardson
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