Said Shaiye is an autistic and ADHD Somali writer and photographer based in Minneapolis. He teaches writing at several community colleges in the Twin Cities, as well as with Unrestricted Interest, an organization dedicated to fostering a love of self-expression in autistic children. He was awarded a 2024 Minnesota State Arts Grant for a yearlong mentorship project with BIPOC autistic writers that will culminate in each participant publishing a book.
His debut book, Are You Borg Now?, was a 2022 Minnesota Book Award Finalist in Memoir. He was nominated for a 2024 Pushcart Prize by Indiana Review for his essay Sneak A Uzi On The Island In My Army Jacket Lining. His writing has appeared in Texas Review, Obsidian, Brittle Paper, 580 Split, and elsewhere.
Shaiye created a documentary video poem that combines original photographs, music, and spoken word. This will be the basis for a feature length documentary he will work on after MacDowell. He had intended to work on a written memoir but felt constrained by the limits of the written word.
Portrait by Kish Daniels
