Cicely Belle Blain
Poet and activist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Early life and education
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
Before launching their own business, Blain worked with Qmunity, an LGBT resource centre in Vancouver.[7] Blain co-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
Blain is non-binary and lives in Vancouver.[10]
Works
- Burning Sugar (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2020)[11]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Pat Lowther Award | Burning Sugar | Shortlisted |