ariana kija 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). she is 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).

they are currently pursuing an MFA in poetry at the University of South Florida.