On this episode, I chat to the incredible poet, spoken word artist and writer, Sophia Thakur.

I’m really honoured to be hosting a poet and spoken word artist on the show for the first time today. Sophia Thakur is an inspirational young woman, delivering poetry that is beautiful, packs a punch and much-needed today. Her words appeal to our deepest sense of selves, as she explores love, family, identity, politics, friendships and so much more. She gives me the boost I need to allow myself to feel, follow my passions and lean into joy. I’m so glad she’s my guest today. 

Sophia Thakur won her first poetry award at 18, and since then she has performed at Glastonbury, Stylist’s Remarkable Women Awards, International conferences, and given multiple TED talks. She is a youth ambassador for the betterment of young Black girls, and has worked with charities including Cancer Research UK, and with brands such as MTV, Samsung and Nike. Sophia also worked with Walker Books in 2017 to create a piece of poetry inspired by The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, called “Poetry for the andem”. Sophia combines words with fashion, sport , music and social responsibility to push the traditional boundaries of poetry. In 2019, she published her first collection of poems, Somebody Give This Heart a Pen, to great critical acclaim, with Angie Thomas saying: “One of the most brilliant and necessary voices. The power of her words will affect generations.” Her second poetry collection Wearing My Mother's Heart was published at the end of 2022 and takes us on an emotionally charged journey through the past lives of women and considers what it means to be a woman in today’s society.

I loved every second of speaking to Sophia, and hope you do too. If you enjoyed the podcast, please follow the Diverse Bookshelf on your podcast platform of choice and connect with me on social media. I would really appreciate it if you could rate and leave a review, as it helps more people find the podcast. 

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