Arielle Twist facts for kids

Arielle Twist is a talented Nehiyaw artist and writer from Canada. She grew up in the George Gordon First Nation in Saskatchewan. Arielle is a Two-Spirit, transgender woman. She creates art in many ways, including writing, visual art, and performance. She has shown her work in many art centers and galleries. In 2020, Arielle won two important awards: the Indigenous Voices Award for poetry and the Dayne Ogilvie Prize for new LGBTQ writers.

Arielle Twist's Career

Becoming a Writer

Arielle Twist started writing in 2017. She was encouraged by her mentor, Kai Cheng Thom. Arielle met Kai Cheng Thom at a book event.

Soon after, Arielle published an essay. It was called "What It's Like to Be a Native Trans Woman on Thanksgiving." This essay came out in Them magazine in November 2017.

After her first essay, Arielle gave her first poetry reading. She read her poems at Venus Envy, a local shop. She also went to a festival in Toronto called Naked Heart.

Arielle then spent time at the Banff Centre. This is a special place for artists. There, she shared her first poems. She also met Billy-Ray Belcourt, who helped her with her first book.

Her First Book

Arielle Twist's first book of poems is called Disintegrate / Dissociate. It was published on June 4, 2019. The book has thirty-eight poems.

Her poems talk about important topics. These include human relationships and change. They also explore themes like colonization and family connections.

Arielle said that writing this book felt very personal. She also said the book is about love, loss, and sadness. The poem "Manifest" in her book is dedicated to Billy-Ray Belcourt.

In late 2019, Arielle also wrote for the Together Apart Series. Her book and essays have earned her many awards.

Awards and Recognition

Arielle Twist has received several important awards for her work.

• In 2019, she won the Indigenous Artist Recognition Award. This award came from Arts Nova Scotia.
• In 2020, her book Disintegrate / Dissociate won two major prizes.
  • She won the Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ Emerging Writers. This award is from the Writers' Trust of Canada.
  • She also won the Indigenous Voices Award for English poetry.

These awards show how important her writing is.

Published Works

Arielle Twist has written many essays and poems. She has also had art exhibits and performances.

• Essays:
  • "What It's Like to Be a Native Trans Woman on Thanksgiving" (2017)
  • "On Translating the Untranslatable" (2018)
  • "Trancestry" (2020)
  • "How streaming video games on Twitch helped me find pure, unapologetic joy in the midst of a pandemic" (2021)

• Poems:
  • "Soakers" (2018)
  • "Rework" (2018)
  • "Post Emo Theory" (2020)
  • Her book Disintegrate / Dissociate (2019) contains many poems.

• Exhibits and Performances:
  • "Contemporary Poetics of Trans Women of Colour Artists" (2018) - a performance
  • "Vacant Faces" (2018) - an exhibit
  • "Poems for Impending Doom – Digital Exhibition" (2019) - an exhibit
  • "Cumming Commons" (2019) - a performance