Ugandan writer and poet Arao Ameny had been offered a one year-contract role as Biography Writer and Editor for Poetry Foundation, the Chicago-based non profit organization which publishes Poetry Magazine, one of the literary world’s most prestigious outlets for poetry.

During the duration of the contract, Ameny will work with the Senior Editor at Poetry Foundation to write and edit poet’s biographies on the magazine’s websites. She will update existing bios and expand them into longer, detailed versions. Her new role also involves working closely with the Digital Platforms team on the year-long project.

Ameny shared her excitement with Brittle Paper in an email message:

I’m honored and deeply humbled that an organization that I deeply respect offered me this role—I can now cross this goal off my list. For me, it won’t be a job—it will an average evening or weekend. I typically research the writing lives and careers of poets to better understand their work so I know I will love this job because I’ve already been doing this on my own time; the only difference is now I’ll get paid for it.

Ameny is having an amazing year. The new appointment comes on the heels of winning The Southern Review’s James Olney Award for her first published poem “Home is a Woman”, the 2021 nomination for the Best New Poets Anthology, and a finalist for the UK-based Brunel International African Poetry Prize.

Congratulations to Arao Ameny!