Leila Chatti

Leila Chatti is a Tunisian-American poet.

She is recognised for her exploration in her poetry of themes such as identity, illness and the female body. Chatti has received numerous accolades for her work, and her poetry has been widely published in literary journals and anthologies.

Early life and education

Leila Chatti was born to a Tunisian father and an American mother. She spent her childhood in both Tunisia and the United States, experiences that deeply influence her poetry. Chatti holds an MFA in Creative Writing from North Carolina State University and an MFA in Poetry from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she was awarded the Diane Middlebrook Poetry Fellowship at the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing.

Works

Chatti's poems have been published in numerous literary journals and magazines, including Ploughshares, The New York Times Magazine, Tin House, The American Poetry Review and The Kenyon Review. Her work has also been featured in several anthologies, highlighting her contributions to contemporary poetry.

Chatti's poetry often explores the intersections of identity, particularly the experience of being a woman and a Muslim in contemporary society. Her work is known for its exploration of bodily autonomy, faith and the complexities of cultural heritage.

Chatti's debut full-length collection, Deluge, was published by Copper Canyon Press in 2020. The collection received critical acclaim for its examination of illness and the female body, drawing from Chatti's personal experiences with a life-threatening medical condition. Publishers Weekly described Deluge as a "stunning debut" that "expertly examines the interplay of faith, illness, and identity". Library Journal praised the collection for its "intensity and lyrical precision," noting that Chatti's poems are "deeply personal and universally resonant". The Rumpus highlighted the collection's "unflinching honesty and lyrical power", calling it "a vital addition to contemporary poetry".

Her chapbooks include Ebb (2018) and Tunsiya/Amrikiya (2018). Chatti's work is noted for its lyrical intensity and exploration of cultural and religious identity.

Recognition and awards

Chatti has received several awards and fellowships, including:

• The 2017 Bull City Press Frost Place Chapbook Competition for Tunsiya/Amrikiya
• The Ploughshares Emerging Writer's Contest in Poetry
• The Gregory O'Donoghue International Poetry Prize
• The New York Times Magazine Poet in Residence