Texas Based. New York Raised. Sudanese Born. Writer.

Shams Alkamil is a Sudanese-American poet, educator, and copywriter based in Texas. Her writing is shaped by her Sudanese heritage and focuses on themes of Black identity, maternal lineage, spirituality, grief, and political commentary. Shams began writing as a mode of self-expression to then being a three-time Pushcart Prize nominee. Her debut book, West 24th Street, highlights the anchor a location has on lived experiences.

Shams’ work has appeared internationally in Rowayat, Mizna, Four Way Review, Ghost City Press, Qafiyah Review, The Ana, Kalahari Review, Torch Literary Arts, Ruth Weiss Foundation, Tofu Ink Arts Press, Writer Con, and more.

In 2025, she was shortlisted as a finalist for Sundress Publications' Light Bill Incubator Microgrant.

Her second book, When Time is Circular (Broadstone Books, 2024), was published in June 2024. Order a copy here.

When not writing, you can find Shams teaching high school students, painting, and attending halaqas.