Ian Keteku

Ian Keteku's poetry is an articulation of a generation's heartbeat. A magician with syntax and a word sorcerer, he conjures new realities all in an attempt to better understand our existence. An internationally acclaimed spoken word poet he is a national slam champion and the 2010 World Poetry Slam champion. He uses his voice to inspire messages of peace, action and critical thought. Ian believes poetry is the universe's way of showing us the beauty in emotion, the similarity in experience and the art of living. Born and raised by Ghanaian parents, Ian feels spiritually and passionately connected to his heritage. Ian's work is strongly influenced by his upbringing and journeys throughout Africa. His work follows in the lineage of ancient African storytellers by paying homage to the past and revisiting themes and lessons from previous generations.

He currently teaches creative writing and community activism at OCAD University in Toronto. His work has been translated into French, Slovak, Russian, Danish, ASL and others. His debut book of poetry Black Abacus is published by Write Bloody North. 

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