Dr Nick Makoha is an Ugandan poet and playwright based in London. He is founder of the Obsidian Foundation, which helps Black poets of African descent advance their writing practices. His new collection ‘The New Carthaginians’ will be published by Penguin in 2025. Nick is the author of ‘The Lost Collection of an Invisible Man’ (Flipped Eye Publishing, 2005), ‘The Second Republic’ (Slapering Hol Press, 2014), ‘The Kingdom of Gravity’ (Peepal Tree Press, 2017) and ‘Resurrection Man’ (Jai-Alai Books, 2018). 

He has been awarded the Brunel African Poetry Prize (2015), the Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize (‘Resurrection Man’, 2016), the Ivan Juritz Prize (‘A Low Pressure System’ 2021) and his play ‘The Dark’ has been featured at The Columbia University School of the Arts International Play Reading Festival 2021. He is also a Cave Canem Graduate Fellow, Malika’s Kitchen Fellow and Complete Works Alumni. He was the ICA 2023 Writer-in-Residence. 

His poems have appeared in titles including Cambridge Review, the New York Times, Poetry Review, Poetry Wales, Rialto, Poetry London, The London Magazine, TriQuarterly Review, 5 Dials, Boston Review, Callaloo Birmingham Lit Journal and Wasafiri.