When I think of spoken word poetry, I instantly think of John Cooper Clarke’s gloriously comedic vulgarity and to me, spoken word has always seemed to present itself as humorous even when dealing with the most serious and dire of topics to make you feel safe. But Nasima Bee’s poetry stands out because she doesn’t need to. This is due in part to her delivery, which reflects the inner monologue that normally makes up the contents of her poetry, in all its rawness, as well as being immensely calming as the setting is normally a tranquil, yet private moment such as doing her make-up. It’s incredible because Nasima’s poetry does the two things poetry should; she tells us something deep about herself and urges you to ask questions about yourself but in a way where you feel safe, almost as if you could blurt it out to her. And the poet herself is as encaptivating as the poems. 

Do you mind telling us a little bit about yourself?  

 My name is Nasima, and I go by the name of Nasima Bee as an artist. I write and perform poetry, I’m a producer of all things community and facilitate workshops in writing. I’ve been doing this professionally for over 10 years and it’s such a privilege to do what I love as a living.  

 Who’s your favourite poet?  

 I don’t have just one favourite poet. I have multiple. Some of my favourite writers are Paige Lewis, Roger Robinson, Muhammed El Kurd and Warsan Shire.  

 What’s your role at Manchester Bangladeshi Women’s Organisation?  

 I don’t work there any longer but I started my first role there in 2017 developing and leading the young persons programme. This included running a youth group each week with young Bangladeshi/ South Asian girls as well as working with them 1-1. In 2021, I began supporting the organisation as the Chief Officer. This meant I was responsible for the running of the organisation and overseeing our activities, finance, development, policy work and so much more. I left my role in August 2023 to focus on my career as an artist. I loved working at MBWO, it was a huge part of my development as a leader in community and arts.  

 How does this affect your spoken word poetry?  

I think working in community has enhanced the work I do as an artist and poet. I tell stories about the world we live in, and working with a community I am very much a part of has enabled me to understand insight and experience into some of the things I want to write about. 

 Can you improvise a line for any spoken word poets reading to use? C

 I love freewriting a lot. Freewriting is an exercise I use to spark my creativity and sometimes lead to a poem. I use a line as a prompt, set a timer and just write without stopping. Here’s a line from a poem I’m working on – ‘we hold our moments like milestones’. Set a 5 minute timer and see where this prompt takes you.  

 Where’s your favourite place to write?   

I love people watching so cafes, galleries and parks are some of my favourite spots.  

 Where’s your favourite place to eat in Manchester?  

 I recently discovered Mr Su’s located in Circle Square. It’s a delicious ramen and dumpling place. I’ve been eating there loads since it opened! 

 What advice would you give to young women trying to become writers?  

The most important thing I did as a writer is join a writers group. Check out Young Identity online. I am a trustee for them and they run multiple workshops across the city. Having writers around you is so important because you riff off of each other, learn and develop together and it’s also an opportunity to collaborate. Would definitely also say you must read, write and create a habit to do those things in whichever way works for you. Writing shouldn’t just happen when you have an idea. You must work on your craft. 

Do you want to branch out into any other forms of literature?  

 I just finished writing my first play, and definitely am hoping to write some more. I have so many ideas for plays and really enjoy giving my work to others to bring to life. 

Well, I’ll definitely be checking out Mr Su’s and Nasima’s new play entitled Gains, more details on that below, and hopefully I’ll bump into the lovely and bubbly Nasima again. It was a pleasure interviewing her and I’d love the opportunity to interview her again. Nasima proves, that with passion and determination, you can make it in the creative industry your own way and thrive doing so.  

If you’re interested in Nasima’s work, you can follow her on Instagram or Twitter or go and see her new play Gains which will be debuting this year as one of the Vignette 6 plays at Hope Mill Theatre. If you’re interested in Young Identity, there is a free workshop at Central Library every Tuesday from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. We’d also love to read anyone’s poetry using Nasima’s free writing exercise and maybe we can even publish them if enough people post theirs’ in the comments.