Ali Shuaib (Nigeria, 2003)

Lives and works in Middlebury

Education

BA Middlebury College, Middlebury VT 2025.5

Recognitions

Published short story "Toyin's adventure" in Essence Magazine

Projects

Absene of Ab5sences - Poetry chapbook 2024

Ki ni Oruko mi - Poetry chapbook 2025

Current project: Ki ni oruko mi ( Senior Thesis)

As a person who grew up between Lagos, Nigeria, and Queens, NYC, I am passionate about the spirituality and essence surrounding my culture. I lived in Nigeria until I was 13, then moved to the United States. Because of the move and the colonization of Nigeria, I never truly learned the full cultural heritage of the Yoruba lands. Yoruba culture, rich in tradition and language, has long been sidelined by colonialism; it also continues to morph in reaction to neocolonialism. Nigerian voices, especially those of the Yoruba, have not been extensively documented in a way that truly captures the spirituality and essence of the culture.

At Middlebury College, I have had the opportunity to explore courses unique to my creative writing and art career. While I have learned a great deal here about decolonization, the precolonial, and the postcolonial worlds—vital information that has shaped my storytelling. I now seek to tell the stories of my people and the loss of Yoruba culture throughout history. I incorporate various mediums like printmaking, watercolor, photography, painting, drawings, djaying and writing to tell the stories that have been swimming in the ether of the Yoruba world for centuries now. It my passion to study my history and culture for the rest of my life, producing works that honors the past, present and future. I am here to put an end to my ancestors' screams and voices waiting to be heard. To tell the true narratives of their stories, to finish what they’ve started—just like I did to my mom’s stories when I was little. Storytelling is my passion and my mission on this earth. My works will mark not only my history as a lesbian Nigerian writer but also the history of a new type of African art/literature— encapsulating the true essence of Nigerian spiritual heritage and queerness before it was lost.