Shasparay

Shasparay is a multi-hyphenate performing artist from Austin, Texas, and the founder of the Black Arts Matter Festival. A nationally recognized spoken-word poet and theater maker, she was the 2022 4th-ranked Woman Slam Poet in the World and, more recently, was the 2024 Austin Poetry Slam Grand Slam Champion. Her touring solo show, BODY POLITICS, has been praised by audiences throughout the US and internationally. BODY POLITICS examines fatphobia through theater, poetry, comedy, dance, and personal revelation. Shasparay received two awards for the six-show run of BODY POLITICS at The Vortex, one for Outstanding Playwriting and another for Outstanding Debut. Shasparay has been a finalist in national and regional slam competitions, including the Women of the World Poetry Slam, Stone Wall International Poetry Slam, Southern Fried Poetry Slam, and Texas Grand Slam, and is a two-time Lipstick Wars Poetry Slam Champion. She has been featured on platforms such as the New York Times, Button Poetry, Huffington Post, Youth Speaks, and Buzzfeed. She is an AudioVerse award-winning cast member of the highly acclaimed horror podcast Old Gods of Appalachia. Available programs: spoken-word/poetry performance (3-60 minutes), poetry workshops (1-2 hours), BODY POLITICS one-person show performance (1-1.5 hours). Photo by Deandre Acosta.