Cicely Belle Blain
 | The subject of this biography uses, and should be referred to with, the pronouns they/them. Please do not change these pronouns without a consensus on the talk page. For more information, see Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Biography § Gender identity. |
Cicely Belle Blain | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1993 or 1994 (age 30–31)[1] London, United Kingdom |
Cicely Belle Blain is a poet and activist originally from England and now based in Canada.
Early life and education
[edit]
Blain was born and raised in London[2] and is of Gambian Wolof, Jamaican and English heritage.[3] When they were in grade 6, Blain and their family moved to a small village in France. The family returned to England afterwards, and Blain attended secondary school in London.[4] They were awarded an International Leader of Tomorrow Award scholarship to study at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver,[5] graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in modern European studies and Russian in 2016.[6] Blain also has a certificate in new media journalism from Simon Fraser University.[7]
Career
[edit]Before launching their own business, Blain worked with Qmunity, an LGBT resource centre in Vancouver.[7] Blain co-founded founded Black Lives Matter Vancouver in 2016.[8] Blain is the CEO of the DEI consulting firm, originally called Cicely Blain Consulting[7] and now called Bakau Consulting, which they launched in 2018.[6] They offer workshops and courses such as “Intro to Racial Justice” and “Unlearning Anti-Blackness”.[8]
Blain's debut book, a poetry collection titled Burning Sugar, was published in 2020.[9][10] They are working on "a YA fantasy novel about black justice and queer love".[5]
Personal life
[edit]Blain is non-binary and lives in Vancouver.[10]
Works
[edit]- Burning Sugar (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2020)[11]
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Award | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Pat Lowther Award | Burning Sugar | Shortlisted |
References
[edit]- ^ Mendez, Emma (2020-09-08). "Burning Sugar: A Q+A with Cicely Belle Blain". Capilano Courier. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
- ^ "Cicely Belle Blain". CBC Radio. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
- ^ "Cicely Blain". Adler University. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
- ^ Blain, Cicely Belle (2017-12-08). "How I came to cherish being femme on my own non-binary terms". Xtra Magazine. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
- ^ a b Christmas, Jillian (2017-04-28). "In Conversation with Cicely-Belle Blain". ROOM Magazine. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
- ^ a b "How Cicely Belle Blain Teaches Anti-Racism From Their Living Room". Thinkific. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
- ^ a b c Cox Thomson, Alicia (2019-11-19). "Cicely Belle Blain Is Making “Diversity" and "Inclusion” More Than Just Buzzwords". FASHION Magazine. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
- ^ a b Thomson, Alicia Cox (2020-08-20). "Cicely Belle Blain Is Helping Canadians Unlearn Prejudice". Chatelaine. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
- ^ "Burning Sugar". CBC Books. 2020-09-08. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
- ^ a b "Cicely Belle Blain explores Black identity and history through their powerful poetry". CBC Radio. 2021-01-08. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
- ^ Mason Pierre, Terese (2020-11-16). "Review: Burning Sugar". Quill and Quire. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- Living people
- Activists from London
- Black British LGBTQ people
- Black British writers
- Black Lives Matter people
- English LGBTQ poets
- English people of Gambian descent
- English people of Jamaican descent
- LGBTQ people from London
- Non-binary activists
- Non-binary poets
- Poets from London
- Simon Fraser University alumni
- University of British Columbia alumni
- Wolof people