Cicely Belle Blain

Cicely Belle Blain
Born1993 or 1994 (age 31–32)[1]
London, United Kingdom

Cicely Belle Blain is a poet and activist originally from England and now based in Canada.

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

Awards and nominations

Year Award Work Result
2021 Pat Lowther Award Burning Sugar Shortlisted

References

  1. ↑ Mendez, Emma (2020-09-08). "Burning Sugar: A Q+A with Cicely Belle Blain". Capilano Courier. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
  2. ↑ "Cicely Belle Blain". CBC Radio. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
  3. ↑ "Cicely Blain". Adler University. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
  4. ↑ 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.
  5. 1 2 Christmas, Jillian (2017-04-28). "In Conversation with Cicely-Belle Blain". ROOM Magazine. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
  6. 1 2 "How Cicely Belle Blain Teaches Anti-Racism From Their Living Room". Thinkific. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
  7. 1 2 3 Cox Thomson, Alicia (2019-11-19). "Cicely Belle Blain Is Making “Diversity" and "Inclusion” More Than Just Buzzwords". FASHION Magazine. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
  8. 1 2 Thomson, Alicia Cox (2020-08-20). "Cicely Belle Blain Is Helping Canadians Unlearn Prejudice". Chatelaine. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
  9. ↑ "Burning Sugar". CBC Books. 2020-09-08. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
  10. 1 2 "Cicely Belle Blain explores Black identity and history through their powerful poetry". CBC Radio. 2021-01-08. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
  11. ↑ Mason Pierre, Terese (2020-11-16). "Review: Burning Sugar". Quill and Quire. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
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