M. NourbeSe Philip is a poet, essayist, novelist and playwright and former lawyer who lives in the space-time of the City of Toronto. Author of five books of poetry, one novel and three collections of essays, her most recent work, Zong!, is a genre-breaking, book-length poem which engages with law, history, and memory as they relate to the transatlantic slave trade.  Winner of many awards including Guggenheim and Rockefeller Fellowships and the Arts Foundation of Toronto Writing and Publishing Award, she is also a Dora Award finalist for her play Coups and Calypsos.