The Polyglot

Aaima Azhar is a Pakistani-Canadian Muslim author, spoken word poet, and award-winning filmmaker who lives and breathes art in all forms. As co-founder of Daaira House, she views wellness as a communal ritual—a "circle on the carpet" where we reject isolation to heal together.

Zainab Azhar is an experienced designer whose practice spans from charcoal and fabric to immersive storytelling. As a co-founder of Daaira House, her work is rooted in the "re-membering" of the heart—the intentional piecing together of blood memory, home, and identity.

Muhammad Azhar proves it is never too late to return to the page. After decades away from writing, and encouraged by his daughters, he shares poetry born from the "wanderings of his mind". His journey with Urdu poetry began with a university competition. Issue 15 - Link in bio.

Angeline Teoh Simon is a multidisciplinary artist from Treaty 7 territory who pieces together the puzzles of ancestry. As a second-generation biracial Canadian, she uses collage and ceramics to investigate intergenerational memory. Issue 15: Daaira. Link in bio.

Silly, a.k.a. Illyana Cardinal, is a mixed-Indigenous multidisciplinary artist and beadworker based on Treaty 6 territory. Creating under the name "Be Silly By Silly", her practice explores cultural reconnection, emotional resilience, and healing through the handmade.

Siham Salah is a software developer by trade and a landscape artist by passion. Self-taught, she captures the passage of time through the changing seasons of Alberta, using oil and gouache to find warmth in winter skies. Her work is a meditation on quiet comfort found in nature.

Qudus Olanrewaju Ojikutu is a Nigerian poet and public speaker who weaves stories across tongues. Performing in English, Yoruba, and Hausa, he is a celebrated translator and paramiographer-an expert in proverbs. Issue 15: Daaira. Link in bio.

Iranian-born poet and translator whose work disrupts and renews language. A winner of the Vallum Poetry Prize, Kess has authored multiple chapbooks and full-length collections, including "Daffod*Is" and the newly released "Book of Interruptions" Headshot Photo Credit: Sarah Brodi

Yannis Lobaina is a Cuban-born storyteller who captures the magic of everyday life through photography and writing. Now based in Toronto, she specializes in minimalist visual storytelling, often seeking patterns and "pareidolia" in nature. Headshot Photo Credit: Alex Usquiano

Maryam Lary blends craft and fine art to explore resilience, spirituality, and the search for peace. After an autoimmune disorder temporarily took her sight, Maryam's commitment to purposeful art deepened. She creates works that advocate for empathy, mental health and connection.

Niabi Kapoor, a first-generation daughter of Indian immigrants, finds her muse in the details of nature and architecture. After living in Madrid for 5 years, she returned to Canada with a new fluency-not just in Spanish, but in the ability to slow down and embrace the unfamiliar.

Ohona Anjum Jui writes at the intersection of English literature and the Sylheti Nagri heritage she fights to preserve. A student, poet, and author of The Fermented Journal, Ohona blends her literary pursuits with fierce advocacy for mental health and the environment.

Luciana Erregue-Sacchi is a cultural powerhouse working at the intersection of art, words, and languages on Treaty 6 territory. She is a poet, art historian, and the publisher behind Laberinto Press. Headshot Photo Credit: Shawna Lemay Issue 15: Daaira. Link in bio!

Named after the tiny but mighty citrus fruit, The Calamansi Club is an all-Filipino indie band bringing flavour to the Edmonton music scene. Bandmates Eoshanelle, Chema, Ryan, and Wel weave songs in both English and Tagalog. Issue 15: Daaira. Link in bio!

leilei chen is a poet and translator who bridges Mandarin and English, giving voice to ecological literature and Chinese women's writing. her work is an act of physical and spiritual regeneration, often utilizing lower-case letters as a deliberate stylistic choice for healing.

Tamara Aschenbrenner (she/they) explores the quiet weight of what we inherit. As a queer writer and communications professional, they delve into the intersections of neurodivergence, feminism, and family history. Issue 15: Daaira. Link in bio!

Based in Edmonton, April Angeles is a Filipino-Canadian visual artist who finds beauty in the discarded. She works primarily with acrylics, graphite, and recycled materials to create textures that speak. Issue 15: Daaira—a celebration of wellness, ritual, and community healing.

Call for Submissions: Grief, Gratitude, & Glory. Share your work with The Polyglot x PHIDEAS. Deadline: Jan 16. Submit your poetry, literature, and art for free. mailchi.mp/79f846b5f84a/i…

✨Join us at LitFest for an evening of multilingual readings, music, and visual art from DAAIRA, our fifteenth issue! ✨ Reserve your print copy for the launch event on Oct 18 @LitFestYEG at @thegreenroomyeg by e-transferring $25 to thepolyglotmagazine@gmail.com.

✨ We’re so proud to share that The Polyglot and Supporting Indigenous Language Revitalization have won a Silver Award in Innovation from the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association! ✨Congratulations to our whole team! Thank you Alberta Magazines for this amazing recognition!