Ahdri Zhina Mandiela (born May 10, 1953) is a

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

-based dub poet,

theatre producer A theatrical producer is a person who oversees all aspects of mounting a theatre production. The producer is responsible for the overall financial and managerial functions of a production or venue, raises or provides financial backing, and hires ...

, and

artistic director An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre or dance company, who handles the organization's artistic direction. They are generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the ...

. She has gained worldwide acclaim for her books, music recordings, film, theatre and dance productions.mandiela
griots.net Mandiela is the founder and artistic director of "b current", a not-for-profit performance arts company in Toronto. In 2006 she was selected to write and direct a project for

Winnie Mandela Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (born Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela; 26 September 1936 – 2 April 2018), also known as Winnie Mandela, was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician, and the second wife of Nelson Mandela. She se ...

as part of the 50th anniversary of the South African Women's Liberation Movement.

Works

Books and music

* ''Speshal Rikwes oems in Dialect' (p. 1985) * ''Dark Diaspora... in Dub'' (p. 1991) * ''step into my head'' (1995)

Theatre

* ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...

'' with "a contemporary, urban interpretation with a Caribbean twist." (2007) * "Who Knew Grannie: A Dub Aria" (2010)

Film

* ''on/black/stage/women'' a documentary covering 30 years of contributions made by Black women to Toronto's theatre scene.

Awards

* 2006 The Silver Ticket Award, for Outstanding Contribution to the Development of Canadian Theatre * Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunton Award – Theatre (2007)Canada Council names 2007 winners of mid-career award
CBCNews

References

External links

jumping in head first: an interview with ahdri zhina mandiela
Susan Gingell, University of Saskatchewan 1953 births Living people Jamaican expatriates in Canada Writers from Toronto 20th-century Canadian poets Canadian women poets Black Canadian writers Jamaican dub poets 20th-century Canadian women writers Black Canadian women Black Canadian filmmakers {{Canada-poet-stub