Candice Iloh

'''Candice Iloh''' (stylized in [[lowercase]] as '''candice iloh''') is a queer, first-generation Nigerian-American<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Candice Iloh |url=https://www.nationalbook.org/people/candice-iloh/ |access-date=2022-09-17 |website=National Book Foundation |language=en-US}}</ref> writer, poet, educator and dancer. Their debut novel, ''[[Every Body Looking]]'', was a finalist for the [[National Book Award for Young People's Literature]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grady |first=Constance |date=2020-10-06 |title=Here are the finalists for the 2020 National Book Awards |url=https://www.vox.com/culture/21499270/national-book-award-finalists-2020-nba |access-date=2021-10-28 |website=Vox |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":22">{{Cite web |last=Westmoore |first=Jean |title=Books in Brief: Every Body Looking; When Stars Are Scattered; If Winter Comes, Tell It I'm Not Here |url=https://buffalonews.com/entertainment/books/books-in-brief-every-body-looking-when-stars-are-scattered-if-winter-comes-tell-it/article_18a9c386-1254-11eb-89f1-478b9d5b177e.html |access-date=2021-10-28 |website=The Buffalo News |date=23 October 2020 |language=en}}</ref> and [[Michael L. Printz Award]] honor book.<ref name="Printz Award">{{Cite web |last= |date=2012-02-27 |title=Printz Award |url=https://www.ala.org/yalsa/printz-award |access-date=2021-10-28 |website=Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) |language=en}}</ref>

== Personal life == Iloh graduated from [[Howard University]],<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Candice Iloh {{!}} Penguin Random House |url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2196156/candice-iloh |access-date=2022-09-17 |website=PenguinRandomhouse.com |language=en-US}}</ref> where they studied public relations.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Willaims-Murray |first=Mercia |date=2007-01-29 |title=Campus Elevators Prove Vertically Challenged |pages=1 |work=The Hilltop |url=https://dh.howard.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1380&context=hilltop_0010 |access-date=2022-09-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Tolson, Jr. |first=Ronald |date=2009-11-17 |title=New Motorola Droid Predicted to Rival Apple iPhone |pages=4 |work=The Hilltop |url=https://dh.howard.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1675&context=hilltop_0010 |access-date=2022-09-17}}</ref> In 2017, they received a [[Master of Fine Arts]] from [[Lesley University]],<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> where they studied Writing for Young People and Poetry.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2015-10-23 |title=Writer Candice Iloh is the Recipient of Lambda Literary Home School Fellowship |url=https://lambdaliterary.org/2015/10/writer-candice-iloh-is-the-recipient-of-lambda-literary-home-school-fellowship/ |access-date=2022-09-17 |website=Lambda Literary |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-04-08 |title=Mining art from discomfort |url=https://lesley.edu/news/mining-art-from-discomfort |access-date=2022-09-17 |website=[[Lesley University]]}}</ref> They completed residencies at VONA, The Home School via [[Lambda Literary Foundation|Lambda Literary]], and the Rhode Island Writer's Colony.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Baptiste |first=Tracey |title=Day 2: Candice Iloh |url=https://thebrownbookshelf.com/28days/day-2-candice-iloh/ |access-date=2022-09-24 |website=The Brown Bookshelf |date=2 February 2021 |language=en-US}}</ref>

Iloh's mother, Debrah, struggled with addiction throughout Iloh's life.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Iloh |first=Candice |date=2022-05-06 |title=The Complex Grief of Losing a Mother You Already Mourned |url=https://lithub.com/the-complex-grief-of-losing-a-mother-you-already-mourned/ |access-date=2022-09-17 |website=Literary Hub |language=en-US}}</ref> She died of stomach cancer in 2018.<ref name=":4" />

Iloh uses ''they/them'' pronouns.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dumpleton |first=Elise |date=2022-05-22 |title=Q&A: Candice Iloh, Author of 'Break This House' |url=https://thenerddaily.com/candice-iloh-author-interview/ |access-date=2022-09-17 |website=The Nerd Daily |language=en-AU}}</ref> They presently live in [[Philadelphia]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=About |url=http://www.becomher.com/about-1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313161044/http://www.becomher.com/about-1 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=March 13, 2016 |access-date=2022-09-17 |website=CANDICE ILOH |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Career == At a poet, Iloh has performed nationally, including the [[Nuyorican Poets Café]] in [[New York City]], the [[Reginald F. Lewis Museum]] in [[Baltimore]], and the [[National Museum of African Art]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] They have also advanced to the final rounds in the following competitions: Graffiti DC Slam, Beltway Poetry Slam, and 11th Hour Poetry Slam.

Iloh's poetry has been published by ''Blackberry Magazine'', ''[[Blavity]]'', ''Fjords Review'', ''For Harriet,'' ''[[TheGrio]],'' ''Insight Magazine'', and the [[Lambda Literary Foundation]].

Iloh created a one-person show, ''Ada: On Stage,'' which debuted in 2018 at Hi-ARTS.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Candice Iloh (they/she) |url=https://theauthorvillage.com/presenters/candice-iloh/ |access-date=2022-09-24 |website=The Author Village |language=en-US}}</ref>

Iloh served as the Managing Editor of ''Quiet Lunch Magazine.''<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2015-05-18 |title="beliefs." by Candice Iloh |url=https://lambdaliterary.org/2015/05/beliefs-by-candice-iloh/ |access-date=2022-09-17 |website=Lambda Literary |language=en}}</ref>

They have also worked as an educator and coach with Voices UnBroken, [[Split This Rock]], and the [[American Poetry Museum]]. Through their work, Iloh has mentored young people in public school classrooms, athletic programs, detention centers, and youth shelters.<ref name=":5" />

== Awards and honors == In 2013, Iloh received a fellowship from [[Voices of Our Nation Arts Foundation]] to work with [[Ruth Forman]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" />

In 2016, they received the [[Lambda Literary Foundation|Lambda Literary]] Home School Fellowship,<ref name=":3" /> during which they studied under [[Cathy Park Hong]]. They were also attended the Rhode Island Writers Colony under the Artistic Direction of [[Jason Reynolds]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=WRITERS-IN-RESIDENCE |url=http://rhodeislandwriterscolony.com/contact |access-date=2022-09-17 |website=Rhode Island Writers Colony |language=en-US}}</ref>

Later, they were a Writer-in-Residence at the Bronx Academy of Letters.<ref name=":5" /> {| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible" |+Awards for Iloh's writing !Year !Title !Award !Result !Ref. |- |2020 |''[[Every Body Looking]]'' |[[National Book Award for Young People's Literature]] |Finalist |<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grady |first=Constance |date=2020-10-06 |title=Here are the finalists for the 2020 National Book Awards |url=https://www.vox.com/culture/21499270/national-book-award-finalists-2020-nba |access-date=2021-10-28 |website=Vox |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":22"/><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2020-10-07 |title=Awards: National Book Award Finalists |url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=3840 |access-date=2022-09-17 |website=[[Shelf Awareness]]}}</ref> |- |2021 |''[[Every Body Looking]]'' |[[Michael L. Printz Award]] |Honor |<ref name="Printz Award"/> |- |2021 |''[[Every Body Looking]]'' |[[Rise: A Feminist Book Project]] |Top 10 |<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chapman |first=Monica |date=2021-04-20 |title=2021 Rise Book Project presents Top Ten feminist books for young readers |url=https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2021/04/2021-rise-book-project-presents-top-ten-feminist-books-young-readers |access-date=2021-10-28 |website=American Library Association |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |date=2021-03-15 |title=Rise: A Feminist Book Project: 2021 |url=https://www.booklistonline.com/ProductInfo.aspx?pid=9745858 |access-date=2022-09-16 |via=[[Booklist]]}}</ref> |}

== Publications == Iloh's poetry has been published by ''Blackberry Magazine'', ''[[Blavity]]'', ''Fjords Review'', ''For Harriet,'' ''[[TheGrio]],'' ''Insight Magazine'', and the [[Lambda Literary Foundation]].

=== Books === * ''Break Fast From Her Skin'' (2014) * In ''The Breakbeats Poets, Volume 2: Black Girl Magic Anthology'' (2018) {{ISBN|9781608468577}} * ''[[Every Body Looking]]'' (2020) {{ISBN|9780525556206}} * ''Break This House'' (2022) {{ISBN|9780525556237}} * ''Salt the Water'' (2023)

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == * {{Official website|http://www.becomher.com/}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Iloh, Candice}} [[Category:Howard University alumni]] [[Category:Lesley University alumni]] [[Category:African-American LGBTQ people]] [[Category:American people of Nigerian descent]] [[Category:American LGBTQ poets]] [[Category:LGBTQ people from Pennsylvania]] [[Category:American non-binary writers]] [[Category:21st-century American novelists]] [[Category:American LGBTQ novelists]] [[Category:Non-binary poets]] [[Category:Non-binary novelists]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]