Leila Chatti

Leila Chatti is a Tunisian-American poet. Her work explores themes such as cultural identity, illness and the female body. Chatti has received numerous accolades for her work, and her poetry has been widely published in literary journals and anthologies.

Early life and education Leila Chatti was born to a Tunisian father and an American mother. She spent her childhood in both Tunisia and the United States, experiences that deeply influence her poetry. Chatti holds an MFA in Creative Writing from North Carolina State University and an MFA in Poetry from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she was awarded the Diane Middlebrook Poetry Fellowship at the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing. Ploughshares, Publishers Weekly described Deluge as a "stunning debut" that "expertly examines the interplay of faith, illness, and identity". Library Journal praised the collection for its "intensity and lyrical precision," noting that Chatti's poems are "deeply personal and universally resonant". The Rumpus highlighted the collection's "unflinching honesty and lyrical power", calling it "a vital addition to contemporary poetry". The collection won the Glenna Luschei Prize for African Poetry in 2021.

Writing style Chatti's work is noted for its lyrical intensity and its exploration of bodily autonomy, illness, faith and the complexities of cultural heritage. Chatti's poetry often explores the intersections of identity, particularly the experience of being a woman and a Muslim in contemporary society. The Ploughshares Emerging Writer's Contest in Poetry The New York Times Magazine Poet in Residence 2021 Glenna Luschei Prize for African Poetry