193K



[ IR-sa ]

Yrsa Daley-Ward is a writer, poet, actor, model, and performer of Jamaican and Nigerian heritage. Raised in Chorley, a small town in the North of England, she now divides her time between Los Angeles and London. Her distinctive poetic voice has resonated globally, reaching hundreds of thousands through her acclaimed books and memoir: Bone (2017), The Terrible (2018), and The How: Notes on the Great Work of Meeting Yourself (2021). Yrsa’s writing delves into the complexities of the human condition, addressing often unspoken issues like mental health, sexuality, love, grief, and addiction.

Celebrated for her powerful writing in Beyoncé’s Black Is King (2020), Yrsa also performed an original poem at the COP26 opening ceremony. She stars alongside Josh Brolin in Amazon’s hit show Outer Range. Yrsa connects with her loyal audience through The Utter, her shapeshifting online journal which goes out to tens of thousands of subscribers twice weekly.

In July 2024, Yrsa received an Honorary Doctorate award from the Lancaster University for her outstanding contribution to literature and diversity through fiction, poetry and prose.