Inua Ellams (°1984, Nigeria) is a multidisciplinary artist: writer, poet, playwright, performer, and graphic designer. His work blends Nigerian storytelling traditions, classical poetry, and hip-hop, with recurring themes of identity, displacement, and destiny. His theatrical works, including The 14th Tale, Barber Shop Chronicles, and Black T-shirt Collection, are performed internationally and explore personal and cultural stories through multiple voices and perspectives. Ellams describes his plays as “failed poems,” where poetry and theatre come together.

He has also published several internationally acclaimed poetry collections (Candy Coated Unicorns and Converse All Stars, Thirteen Fairy Negro Tales, and The Actual), curates live literature events, and experiments with graphic design and curation. Today, Inua lives in London, where he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of the Arts in 2023 and received an MBE for his services to the arts.