Ahmed Ali, better known by the pseudonym Knowmadic, is a
Somali-Canadian
Somali Canadians are Canadians of Somali origin or are dual Somali and Canadian nationality.
Overview
Most Somalis arrived in Canada between the late 1980s from Somalia and early 1990s as refugees, with some secondary migration from the United S ...
poet, writer, actor, musician, and youth activist.
Early life
Ali was born November 28, 1984, in Mogadishu, to a nomadic father and a mother whose family were farmers. His name is a
portmanteau
A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of words His family immigrated first to Italy in 1989, then to Canada. While in Italy, Ali and his 3 older brothers stayed in boarding schools. Upon graduating, he attended
Humber College
The Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning, commonly known as Humber College, is a public College of Applied Arts and Technology in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1967, Humber has two main campuses: the Humber North c ...
in
Toronto, Ontario
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 ...
for Comedy writing and performance. Ali was introduced to
spoken word
Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...
in 2009 by Titilope Sonuga, who curated a regular poetry night called Rouge Poetry; She invited Ali and others to help her found the Breath in Poetry Collective.
Career
In 2011, Ali and team Edmonton won the
Canadian Festival of Spoken Word
The Canadian Festival of Spoken Word is an annual festival produced by Spoken Word Canada and planned by a local Festival Organizing Committee in each host city.
The inaugural festival took place in Ottawa, Ontario in 2004 and was then known as th ...
championship. In 2013, Ali received an opportunity to be Artist in residence at the
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute (LHPAI) is a cultural, community, and artistic center in the Central District, Seattle, Central District of Seattle, Washington (state), Washington, USA. It was founded in 1969 and named after the writer an ...
in
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
, initiating his career as a full-time artist. In 2017, he was runner-up for public school board trustee in Ward A in Edmonton. In January 2018, Ali hosted the APAP Annual Awards Ceremony, honoring Martin Luther King. He served a two-year term as Edmonton's
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ...
, from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2019, as its seventh Poet Laureate.
Ali sits on community boards including the Edmonton Arts Council where he chairs the equity committee. He also performs speaking engagements at local schools, and has participated in vigils against violence.
Ali is married and has two daughters.
Awards and nominations
* Top 30 Under 30
* Cultural Diversity in the Arts Awards
* Canadian Champion of Spoken word
* Top 40 Under 40
* Human Rights Champions Award
*
Michaëlle Jean
Michaëlle Jean (; born September 6, 1957) is a Canadian stateswoman and former journalist who served from 2005 to 2010 as governor general of Canada, the 27th since Canadian Confederation. She is the first Haitian Canadian and black person ...
Young Arts Entrepreneur Award
Art Residencies
*
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute (LHPAI) is a cultural, community, and artistic center in the Central District, Seattle, Central District of Seattle, Washington (state), Washington, USA. It was founded in 1969 and named after the writer an ...