Tawhida Tanya Evanson is a Canadian poet, novelist, inter-artist and Ashiq whose work spans literature, spoken word, music, film and performance, grounded in Pan-Africanism, Sufi mysticism and decolonial thought. Born and based in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal with roots in Antigua, West Indies, she is the author of the award-winning novel Book of Wings (2021), its French companion Livre des ailes (2023), and the poetry collections Nouveau Griot and Bothism. A twenty-five-year veteran of the international spoken word scene, she has received the Golden Beret Award for lifetime achievement, was named Poet of Honour at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, performed in over a dozen countries, produced multiple audio recordings, and created the multi-award-winning Afrofuturist concert film CYANO SUN SUITE (2024). Founder of Mother Tongue Media, she has served as Poet Ambassador in Residence at the League of Canadian Poets, president of the Quebec Writers’ Federation, and director of the Banff Centre Spoken Word Program. She moonlights as a whirling dervish.
