Artes Mundi are excited to announce we will be joined by writers Hanan Issa and Yousuf Lleu Shah as our Children’s Writers in Residence for Artes Mundi 9.

Issa and Lleu Shah will be collaborating on an original piece of writing that explores the shortlisted artists’ works and creates new passages for families to explore together. The collaboration brings together two writers whose work boldly examines some of the most urgent issues of our time.  Issa and Lleu Shah’s perspectives complement each other, as mother and son they will create an experience that weaves a journey through the exhibition for all ages to enjoy.

Hanan Issa is a Welsh-Iraqi poet and writer. She has been featured on both ITV Wales and BBC Radio Wales and worked in partnership with National Museum Wales, Artes Mundi, Warwick University, Swansea Fringe, StAnza festival, Wales Arts International and Seren Books. Her work has been published in Banat Collective, Hedgehog Press, Wales Arts Review, Sukoon mag, 4 Journal, Poetry Wales, Parthian, Y Stamp, sister-hood magazine and MuslimGirl.com. Her winning monologue was featured at Bush Theatre’s Hijabi Monologues. She is the co-founder of Wales’ first BAME open mic series ‘Where I’m Coming From’. She was a 2018-2019 Hay Festival Writer at Work. Her debut poetry pamphlet My Body Can House Two Hearts was published by BurningEye Books in October 2019.

Yousuf Lleu Shah is 8 years old and is currently in Year 4 of primary school. His favourite subjects are Maths, Science and Art. He loves to write stories and is curious about everything. He believes art can inspire us to understand. His first publication was a short story in Hammad Rind’s ‘Hammari Kahani: Our Story’ pamphlet.