# Knowmadic (Ahmed Ali)

> Knowmadic (b.1984): Mogadishu-born poet, Edmonton's Poet Laureate 2017 to 2019.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/people/knowmadic/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## Who is he?

Ahmed Ali, better known as Knowmadic, is a Somali-Canadian poet, writer, actor, musician and youth activist ([Wikipedia, Knowmadic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowmadic)). He was born in Mogadishu on 28 November 1984 to a nomadic father and a mother from a farming family; his pen name joins "knowledge" and "nomadic" (same source). The family moved to Italy in 1989 and then to Canada (same source).

## Spoken word

He studied comedy writing and performance at Humber College in [Toronto](/en/diaspora/toronto/) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowmadic)). He was introduced to spoken word in 2009 by Titilope Sonuga and helped her found the Breath in Poetry Collective (same source). In 2011 he and team Edmonton won the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word championship, and in 2013 he was artist in residence at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center in [Seattle](/en/diaspora/seattle/) (same source).

## Edmonton

He was Edmonton's seventh Poet Laureate, from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2019 ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowmadic)). In 2017 he was runner-up for public school board trustee in Ward A (same source). He chairs the equity committee of the Edmonton Arts Council (same source). See [Somalis in Edmonton](/en/diaspora/edmonton/).

## In short

A Mogadishu-born spoken-word poet who served as Edmonton's Poet Laureate.

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