Q&A with Shasta Ali

How/why did you start writing, both in general and as a poet specifically?

As a mother of three children, I have come to writing later in life, and mainly as a means of processing grief. I have always enjoyed writing poems and writing in general, but since losing my father, it has felt more urgent to get the words out. I sometimes speak of grief as an uninvited guest always hanging around, creeping up at celebrations, perched at the edge of a smile. And since it never seems to want to leave, I have started writing to it, and about it. In a way I use my writing and poetry as making sense of the world around me, for instance when loss shows up as an empty seat at my child’s first birthday party. It’s a form of healing when I finally write a poem that has been churning around in my head after days, weeks, months of that dull ache that comes with loss. And even when the poem is about my research into the Ayahs of Scotland, there are layers of grief between stanzas.

What does your writing practice tend to look like?

I would love to say I had a specific time, place and cosy space to write poetry. But I don’t. I write around my day job, children and caring responsibilities. This usually means that I write mostly when my household has gone to bed. When the chaos and noise has quietened to a thick silence. There is something about writing poems in the darkest and most still part of the night. This is the time I’m most creative – into the wee hours of the night. 

Ideas percolate during the day especially when I’m out at the park, or on a walk with the kids or making dinner. I often take notes on the notes app on my phone or have a small notebook with me where I jot down lines or moments I want to flesh out later. I’m obsessed with a good pen – blue flowy ink, the kind that makes your writing look neater and helps me write as fast as my mind is going! Saying that many of the first drafts of poems have been written on my notes app on my phone. 

What were some of the unexpected setbacks and boosts you’ve encountered on your writing journey? How did you deal with them?

I spent a long time not sending my poetry out because I feared rejections so badly. Then a good friend told me that in order for me to be published anywhere, I had to actually send my work out, because this meant I was on the path of getting there (instead of poems hiding between the pages of another beautiful notebook) –  basically you have to be in it, to win it. Sometimes it takes one person to get through to you and that was Derek. I started to slowly send stuff out and of course rejections came but so did acceptances! 

Where did you find your writing community, and how has that shaped your writing?

Without a doubt the Scottish BPOC network has been the biggest influence in my writing. I did my first ever writing workshops online during lockdown. Some of my earlier workshops were with Dean, Andres, Titi, Alycia and Kelly where I had my camera off and was feeding my baby, and still joining via my phone (sorry this was as glamorous as it got with me!). I learnt so much during those workshops, and reading first drafts to other writers of colour eased the anxiety I had around providing/not providing context on poems about my heritage.

I remember writing my poem for the audio anthology during a series of workshops led by Hannah Lavery. It was the first time I’d ever recorded one of my poems. Hannah has always encouraged me to write what I believe in, even when the work is difficult—especially when writing about racism and erased histories. She reminds me that we write for people like us, for one another, and that our stories matter. Hannah even nudged me to apply for the New Writers Awards. Thanks Hannah!

My friend Gill is also a huge part of my writing community. We have poetry blethers that go on for hours and she also sends me submission dates with a ‘send your poem here!’ I joke that she knows some of my poems better than me!

Spaces like Open Book, Marjorie’s table, Writers of Colour, Loud poets have been instrumental to the development of my writing. The community is so generous and warm, and I’m so very grateful.

Your writing often examines intersections of race, heritage, memory, and language. Can you tell us a bit about how you approach these in your work?

My writing is shaped by my own experiences as a woman of colour, grief and my experience into colonial archives and histories. All which is complex, and brimming with emotion, and at times overwhelming.  There is harm and violence in colonial archives, and it’s hard not to be affected by the deliberate silence and erasure of marginalised communities. But I also see this as an opportunity to retell and reimagine with care, and so I find myself pulling out fragments to tell a story from echoes of the past.  These ruptures within colonial archives have influenced my work on the Ayahs of Scotland—South Asian female domestic care workers in Scotland from the 1800s, whose stories are largely missing from the national story.

I write in English, with scatterings of Scots, Urdu and Arabic woven throughout my poetry. Memory and language work together as acts of remembrance and resistance showing how personal and historical grief continue to shape the present.

What was the application process like for the New Writers Awards? 

Firstly the whole application form was much less daunting than I thought. It was a very considered application and what struck me was how useful the questions were in making me think about my writing and the themes I write about. Like a less painful version of a CV, and much nicer!

You submit a sample of your writing which again was helpful because it made me think about what poems sit well together and the narrative arc of my poems. It makes you think of the future of your writing which I feel for an emerging writer is extremely useful. In the run up to the application date, the Scottish Book Trust runs information sessions and I would recommend these as a way of finding out more. Competitions are scary enough, without feeling like you have a list of unanswered questions.

If you’re thinking of applying, please do!

How has winning a 2026 New Writers Award benefitted your writing practice?

The process has been wholesome. The team at the Scottish Book Trust are such kind and caring folk, and when I heard about all the past awardees, it highlighted how many Scottish writers they have supported .

SBT are supportive to your individual needs and ensure they do everything they can so you benefit fully from the process. Shoutout to Eilidh and Lynsey R.

Part of the award was a writing retreat at Moniack Mhor and it was glorious. Having the time and space to yourself to read and write is truly a gift. Throughout the year, you have the opportunity to work with a mentor to develop your writing which is super exciting. The mentor is selected by the Scottish Book Trust after a thoughtful and indepth chat with them about your writing and themes.  There are also various training courses to support your development like PR, social media, website – all the little but huge things that sit alongside building your career as a writer. It’s a well established programme and a real asset to Scottish writers. 

The New Writers Cohort 2026 is a wonderful group. We are all writers from different genres and it’s so exciting to see what everyone is working on. There’s lots of fun and laughter in our what’s app group, and I know we’re all there to support each other.

What are you currently working on?

I am working on a pamphlet/collection bringing together work on the Ayahs of Scotland, grief and racism. It’s exciting work in progress and I can’t wait to share it with everyone. 

What do you dream for the future – for your writing or the Scottish literary landscape?

A Scottish literary landscape where more opportunities are created and more voices are supported and heard. Where writers from all backgrounds, and languages can tell their stories with honesty, and integrity, and be valued for them. Especially now, when we see far right narratives taking space across media and communities.

For my own writing, I hope to keep creating work that challenges this. Work that connects with people, brings in joy and imagination whilst continuing to grow as a writer and make space for others along the way.

And finally, if you could offer one piece of advice to Scotland’s writers of colour, what would it be?

Find your community. Join the Scottish BPOC Writers Network or a local writing group. I have made friends and connections through the network. I regularly attend the events on offer and appreciate a chance to meet fellow writers and people of colour. 

And of course, write. Even amongst the chaos of life, because eventually something will come out of it. It’s difficult in the world of social media, not to focus on all the writers in cafes writing their best life (send me tips please!), but in reality writing and writing practices are so different for all of us. For some this will look like publication deals and performing on stages, for others this might take the form of reading your work to a group of friends/family or simply writing for yourself. All are equally important. Keep writing, even if it’s a few lines a day. Good luck 💙