Nayyirah Waheed

Nayyirah Waheed is a writer and artist who has published two books of poetry and has been described as "perhaps the most famous poet on Instagram." While Waheed is a reclusive writer who doesn't reveal many details about her life, her poetry is frequently shared through social media accounts. Her poetry is known for being "short and minimalistic" and "incredibly touching", covering topics such as love, identity, race, and feminism.

Life

Not much is known about Waheed's background and childhood, with Waheed describing herself as a "quiet poet" who doesn't share much online about her life. What is known is that Waheed began writing at the age of eleven after being assigned to write a poem for a community newspaper by her English teacher. Since then, she has published two books and gained a loyal following on Instagram where she currently has over 590,000 followers. Since gaining a loyal following on social media, both salt. and Nejma have become highly praised and studied in schools. However, Kaur has stated she takes inspiration from Waheed.

Reception

Waheed's collection salt. has been described as "lines filled with force and grit" and a "collection of thoughts that build to a quiet crescendo against all the forces of racism, misogyny and xenophobia." Her poetry has been praised for calling "out to care for what is most imperiled, and how words can keep us going." Jet Magazine said that her poetry will make readers want to re-evaluate their lives "as each poem breaks down your emotions and leaves you picking them up off the floor, piece by piece.

While her work was originally criticized for not following the more traditional rules of poetry, fans of Waheed's work praise her use of full stops and two to three lined poems.