Jaye simpson

jaye simpson (stylized in all lowercase) is an Oji-Cree-Saulteaux indigiqueer writer, poet, activist, and drag queen.

Personal life

simpson resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, on the territories of the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, and Squamish nations. she writes her name, pronouns, and the word "i" in lowercase letters.

Career

simpson was a finalist for the Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ Canadian writers in 2021 for her debut poetry collection it was never going to be okay, published by Nightwood Editions in 2020. The book won the 2021 Indigenous Voices Award for poetry. her work has been published in a variety of magazines, including her piece "all this out of spite" in St@nzas's summer 2021 issue. simpson's story "The Ark of the Turtle's Back" was published in Love After the End, an anthology collection edited by Joshua Whitehead. In 2025, her poetry collection, a body more tolerable, was published.

simpson writes in both English and Swampy Cree. her subjects include indigeneity, queerness, and her experience in the child welfare system.

In 2026 she was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Poetry, and had a small acting role as Sammie in the film Seventeen.

References

  1. 1 2 Racz, Naomi (2020-09-25). "Q&A with jaye simpson". Victoria Festival of Authors. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  2. ↑ Ly, David (2021-06-24). "'The power I came into': An Interview with jaye simpson". PRISM international. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  3. ↑ Sangha, Jeevan (30 August 2024). "'An Ode to My Family and the Downtown Eastside'". The Tyee. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  4. 1 2 Driscoll, Christopher (2021-02-12). "Poet jaye simpson on queering and reclaiming the world of poetry Martlet". Martlet. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  5. ↑ Porter, Ryan (2021-05-26). "Emerging queer writers celebrated as finalists announced for Dayne Ogilvie Prize". Quill and Quire. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  6. ↑ "37 Canadian poetry collections to watch for in fall 2020". CBC Books. September 23, 2020.
  7. ↑ Qiao, Vicky (June 22, 2021). "Nathan Adler, Bevann Fox and jaye simpson among winners for 2021 Indigenous Voices Awards". CBC Books.
  8. ↑ simpson, jaye (2021-04-24). "NPM21 Blog: all this out of spite by jaye simpson". League of Canadian Poets. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  9. ↑ Morton, Eve (2021-03-10). "Love after the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction edited by Joshua Whitehead". Strange Horizons. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  10. ↑ "a body more tolerable by jaye simpson". CBC Books. April 8, 2025.
  11. ↑ Mayerhoefer, Lisa (April–May 2021). "'it was never going to be okay'". Discorder Magazine. Archived from the original on 2024-03-23.
  12. ↑ "Jaime Burnet, Jordan Tannahill and jaye simpson shortlisted for 2SLGBTQ+ writing awards". CBC. March 20, 2026. Retrieved 2026-03-21.
  1. ↑ simpson uses she/her and they/them pronouns. This article uses she/her for consistency.