A brief introduction:
Shehzar Doja is a poet, editor, artist, cultural activist born in Dhaka, Bangladesh and he is Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Luxembourg Review.
Awards and Recognitions:
- ‘40 under 40’ Most Outstanding Creative Talents in Scotland (2023)
- NewAge Youth Icon
- Future World Changer, University of Glasgow
Publications: Shehzar’s poetry and translations have appeared in numerous prestigious publications worldwide, including the New Welsh Review, The Best Asian Poetry Anthology 2021-2022 (Kitaab), Poetry Wales, New Writing Scotland, Gutter, Modern Poetry in Translation, Fundstücke-Trouvailles (Luxembourg literary yearbook), The San Antonio Review, Dhaka Tribune, Delano, The Centenary Collection for Edwin Morgan, Voice and Verses, Monsoon Letters, Sticks and Stones Anthology, Pratik, Fresh from the Fountain Anthology, The Selkie, From Glasgow to Saturn, Ceremony, Guttural, and Poems from the Edge of Extinction among many others.
is a bridge… (from Oasis by SD)
Books:
“Drift” (UPL/Monsoon Letters, 2016)
“Let us (Or the Invocation of Smoke)” (Broken Sleep Books, 2023)
Co-edited with James Byrne . Anthology ‘I am a Rohingya: Poetry from the camps and beyond’ (Arc 2019)
Selected Poems and Translations:
- No Soil Left to Plant (Commissioned by University of Glasgow for COP26)
- There is a now Written and Performed in Cop27
- Lovesong in Poems from the Edge of Extinction (Chambers, 2019)
- Vista in Voice and Verses Journal (Hong Kong, 2018)
- Let us sing without voices in Best Asian Poetry Anthology (Kitaab, Singapore)
Notable Appearances and Contributions:
Poetry reading and hosting at “Poetry in Parliament” in the Scottish Parliament (2022) with Kathleen Jamie, Alycia Pirmohamed and Jo Gilbert
Poem “No Soil Left to Plant” quoted in the Scottish Parliament as marking the start of COP26. Catalyst for the preceding event.
Invited poet at COP27 in Egypt, reading and composing poems at the BeNeLux pavilion
My poetic interpretation ‘No red lines’,(Cop28) an ekphrasis from the the climate response of Jean-Pascal Van Ypersele was used in the document submitted to Sultan Al Jaber in response to the oil lobby takeover.
Represented Luxembourg alongside Jean Portante at ‘I amsterdam’ festival with my poem ‘Drift’
My co-edited anthology ‘I am a Rohingya: Poetry from the Camps and Beyond’ won the inaugural World Choice Award from The Poetry Book Society and was even distributed around the Hague as a testimony of witness by one of the poets who was present and featured during the proceedings of the trials and now taught at universities worldwide with even articles on it in Law magazines in regards to active change in this world through poetry.
Solo Art-Poetics Exhibition reading at the Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh (May 2023) for the launch of ‘Let us (or the invocation of smoke)’
Curated the first poetry reading session at CBA 16 alongside Dr Maria Sledmere and Catriona Sutherland.
Presentation and discussion of “I am a Rohingya” at the University of Strathclyde
First poet to read and first poetry reading at So So Summer hosted by CNALUX (during Vanessa Brown’s exhibition Gravity)
Creative Conversations with James Byrne at University of Glasgow
Reading at Galerie Simoncini and Galerie Clairefontaine (Luxembourg) with James Byrne
Invited by Yann Arthus-Bertrand for Bangla Day, organized by Fondation GoodPlanet, Paris
Moderator for sessions at Dhaka Lit Fest, including “Publishing Pains” and “Poetry and Activism”+ launch of Drift
Co-Edited BPOC Issue of ‘The Dark Horse’ with Sean Wai Keung and Gerry Cambridge
On the jury panel for several Clydebuilt fellowships
On the Jury panel for Printemps des Poetes Festival (Luxembourg)
Curated a feature on subcontinental poets for Gutter magazine (issue 26)
Host of ‘The Literary Lounge’. An online video podcast series featuring Lisa Ducasse, Sudeep Sen, Pierre Joris, Eric Ngalle Charles and Khaled Mattawa.
Still Waters 