about

Ariana Matondo (they/she) is a queer disabled Tanzanian-American poet, editor, and teacher based in Tampa, Florida. They are the winner of the Zora Neale Hurston Award for poetry (2025) and named a finalist for the Disquiet Prize for poetry (2025). They are also a previous recipient of the Sundress Publications Fellowship (2025), Vermont Studio Center Fellowship (2024), Light for Public Health Poetry Prize (2024), and the Bettye Newman Poetry Prize (2024-2025). Ariana has published and forthcoming work in Light Magazine, Honey Literary Magazine, The Common, and more. They are currently pursuing an MFA in poetry at the University of South Florida.

A woman with glasses and braided hair reading or speaking at a podium with a microphone in an outdoor setting at night, illuminated by a small table lamp and string lights.