Boonaa Mohammed

Boonaa Mohammed, born April 14, 1987, is a Canadian spoken-word poet and writer of Oromo descent. He belongs to a contemporary generation of artists shaped by immigrant family histories, city life, and the rise of performance poetry across stages, broadcasts, and digital media. His work has moved through poetry, theatre, short fiction, and media production, giving him several ways to tell stories and reach audiences.

Mohammed is a second generation Ethiopian immigrant of Oromo ancestry. His parents came to Canada as political refugees seeking asylum after their involvement with the Oromo Liberation Front in Ethiopia. He grew up in the downtown Toronto area, where he was heavily involved in street life while attending Oakwood Collegiate Institute. At the same time, he excelled in school, graduating at the top of his class and being named valedictorian.

After high school, Mohammed enrolled at Ryerson University, now Toronto Metropolitan University, and graduated from the Radio and Television Arts program in 2011. That training sits naturally beside his career as a performer and writer. His public voice was recognized early: in 2007, he won the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Poetry Face-Off “Best New Artist” award, a marker of his place in Canadian spoken-word culture.

His career has continued across several forms. Mohammed has held a playwright residency at Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto, appeared on TedX Toronto, and had a short story published in the Penguin Canada anthology Piece by Piece. Beyond poetry and theatre, he founded Safina Media, an Islamic media production company, extending his storytelling into media platforms beyond the page and the stage.

What shaped Mohammed’s perspective is visible in the facts of his life: Oromo ancestry, refugee family history, downtown Toronto, street life, academic achievement, and formal training in radio and television. His words often carry the tension between how people are seen and who they are. One line from his work asks, “If the world were blind, how many people would you impress?” It is a direct question, and that directness helps explain why his voice continues to connect with readers and listeners.