Welsh poet of the year awarded Powys literary festival international fellowship

Funded by Arts Council Wales, the Fellowship supports a writer in Wales in attending festivals around the world in Mexico, Spain, Peru and Colombia while developing a writing or research project.

Open to exceptional writers of all ages, it provides a unique opportunity for career development, while increasing Wales’ artistic profile internationally.

A participant of the Hay Festival Writers at Work development programme, Issa’s debut pamphlet My Body can House two Hearts was published by Burning Eye Books in 2019.

Her work has been performed and published in a variety of places including BBC Wales, ITV Wales, Huffington Post, StAnza festival and Poetry Wales.

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She is the co-founder of the Where I’m Coming From open mic collective and was named National Poet of Wales earlier this year.

Hay Festival is one of the world’s leading literary charities, running festivals to inspire, examine and entertain globally, featuring Nobel Prizewinners and novelists, scientists and politicians, historians, environmentalists and musicians.

Hanan Issa said: "I am unbelievably excited by this opportunity to explore such incredible places and connect with international writers. I am hoping to understand more about the literary traditions of folklore, fairy tales and poetry from countries I visit and gain a deeper insight of tales from my own heritage in Wales and Iraq.”

Hay Festival international director Cristina Fuentes La Roche said: “We are delighted to welcome Hanan Issa into the Hay Festival International Fellowship. Hay Festival offers a unique space for writers, thinkers and audiences from across the world to share ideas in free, open conversations. From our booktown in Wales, the festival has now travelled to more than 30 locations, from the historic town of Cartagena in Colombia to the heart of cities in Peru, Mexico, Spain, and the USA, and we look forward to sharing Hanan’s work with this international audience over the next 12 months.”

Eluned Haf, Head of Wales Arts International at Arts Council of Wales said: “We have been delighted to support the Hay Festival International Fellowship over the past decade; it is a fellowship that has opened up important international connections for a range of brilliant writers from Wales and introduced their work to new international audiences. Hanan Issa is a fantastic choice as the next Hay Festival International Fellow."