Yrsa Daley-Ward
Biography
Yrsa Daley-Ward is a British writer, poet, memoirist, and actress of Jamaican and Nigerian heritage, raised in Chorley in northwest England. After working as a model in London and later moving to Cape Town, South Africa, she encountered the spoken-word poetry community and began developing the performance-centered literary practice that would become central to her career.
Her first published book, On Snakes and Other Stories, appeared in 2013, followed by the self-published poetry collection bone in 2014 and its expanded Penguin edition in 2017. Her writing is known for its direct, intimate treatment of sexuality, identity, race, womanhood, mental health, grief, addiction, desire, and healing.
Her autobiographical memoir The Terrible was published in 2018 and won the PEN/Ackerley Prize in 2019. She followed it with The How: Notes on the Great Work of Meeting Yourself in 2021 and her fiction debut, The Catch, in 2025.
Beyond books, Daley-Ward has worked across acting, modeling, spoken-word performance, and screenwriting, including a writing collaboration on Beyoncé's visual film Black Is King. She is currently based in Los Angeles and continues to develop interdisciplinary creative work through the utter®, a poetic intelligence and brain health company exploring creativity, language, attention, and emotional well-being.
BQW Impact
Yrsa Daley-Ward has expanded the visibility and accessibility of contemporary Black queer literary expression by writing openly about sexuality, mental health, trauma, desire, race, womanhood, and healing.
Her poetry and memoir create space for complex Black queer experiences without reducing them to a single identity narrative. Through live performance, publishing, digital storytelling, and film, she has helped bring contemporary poetry to audiences far beyond traditional literary spaces.
Her work demonstrates how personal storytelling can function simultaneously as art, cultural representation, emotional exploration, and a means of self-discovery. Across literature and interdisciplinary creative work, Daley-Ward continues to encourage vulnerability, self-knowledge, and honest engagement with identity and healing.
Notable Works
bone (2014)
Breakthrough poetry collection exploring identity, desire, race, trauma, and self-discovery through intimate, minimalist verse.
The Terrible (2018)
Critically acclaimed memoir chronicling Daley-Ward's childhood, family relationships, addiction, sexuality, and journey toward healing.
The How: Notes on the Great Work of Meeting Yourself (2021)
Hybrid collection of reflections and poetry encouraging self-examination, creativity, and emotional resilience.
Black Is King (2020)
Co-wrote Beyoncé's acclaimed visual film celebrating Black identity, ancestry, and cultural imagination.
The Catch (2025)
Debut novel blending literary fiction and speculative elements to explore motherhood, identity, memory, and Black womanhood.
Learn More
Explore Yrsa Daley-Ward's official website featuring her biography, books, acting work, and current creative projects.
Penguin Random House – Yrsa Daley-Ward
Explore Daley-Ward's author profile, publications, and latest releases from her publisher.
Learn about Daley-Ward's poetic intelligence and brain health platform exploring creativity, language, and emotional well-being.
Follow Yrsa Daley-Ward for poetry, writing, creative projects, and literary updates.
Learn more about Daley-Ward's memoir exploring family, addiction, identity, and the lifelong pursuit of healing.