Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan is a writer, poet, playwright and public educator based in the north of England. She is the author of two books and a poetry collection, and her debut play premiered at the Kiln Theatre in London in 2024. Suhaiymah reflects on the impact of the Roundhouse Poetry Slam on her career, after her performance of This is Not a Humanising Poem at the 2017 Final went viral online.

Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan, 15 April 2025

‘If you need me to prove my humanity; I’m not the one who’s not human’

I have uttered that line of poetry probably more than one hundred times in the last eight years. At protests, in schools, mosques, lecture theatres across the UK, on stage in Las Vegas, opening Lowkey’s album launch in London, in New York, Berlin, Italy; and yet, nothing will ever compare to the applause that interrupted me mid-poem after I first voiced these lines in the 2017 Roundhouse Poetry Slam. Mid-poem applause is a rare gem for a slammer, though I could never have anticipated just how life-altering the moment would be.

A few days earlier I had been nervously pacing the patch of grass outside my shared flat, murmuring the poem to myself in hopes of committing it to memory. It was a new piece, sparked by the London Bridge attack a few nights earlier. I was acutely aware of being a hijab-wearing Muslim woman about to stand in front of 600 Londoners on stage. The meanings ascribed to my body would be palpable to all. So this poem was born – a refusal to humanise Muslims or apologise for something unrelated to me.

I had no idea how the poem would be received. It was the middle of Ramadan, I was fasting, and only nine months into living in London and being exposed to the mass of poetic talent in the city. I didn’t think I’d make it to the finals, let alone win runner-up in the Roundhouse Slam. And so, after some post-iftar ice cream on the night, I went home with a small trophy, thinking that was the culmination of the high.

But two weeks later, on Eid in fact, I got tagged in a video. The Roundhouse had uploaded a clip of my performance. Nice to share with my mum, I thought. But within hours my inbox was flooded. Views on the video raced past 1,000 to 10,000, then 100,000, eventually it would reach past the million mark. People were seeking where they could read more of my poetry, inviting me to perform in Australia, the US, even asking if I was published. It was surreal. Far from being published, back then I didn’t realise poetry could even be a full-time path. I was finishing my Master’s degree and had pretty much secured a 9–5 job as a widening participation officer at a University. But suddenly I found myself at a crossroads: take the job, or ride this unexpected wave?

That summer turned into a series of train journeys and small gigs around the UK. People started recognising my voice from the video. My other writing picked up attention, I even had theatre companies reach out. But could I take up the international invitations to slam? How would I fund a US tour?

Once again, God used the Roundhouse Slam to facilitate life change for me. Sitting at a Roundhouse dinner for their supporters, I found myself on the table with the lovely couple who funded the Slam. We chatted and I thought nothing more of it. But a few days later I got a call from the Roundhouse – the couple wanted to support my trip. So in November 2017 I flew to the US and spent a month performing in schools, cafes, lecture theatres, mosques, and slam venues from New Mexico to California.

Looking back, I am still riding the “unexpected” wave of that Slam Final. I could never have imagined all that would come from that performance. But by the grace of God I have since published a poetry collection and two books, given TEDx talks, written plays, contributed to anthologies and performed globally – often still sharing This Is Not a Humanising Poem. That night in June 2017 threw me off the safe track I had planned for myself, and what I thought was a detour, turned out to be the path God planned. 

The biggest impact the Slam had on my career was that it has alleviated me from having one. With no English degree or Creative Writing qualifications, I have been able to experience being a writer, poet, playwright, dramaturg, workshop-facilitator and so much more. 

Poetry doesn’t have to be “just” a hobby; and whilst events like the Roundhouse Slam are often perceived as cultural events or entertainment; they can actually be life changing moments for those involved. I learnt that being unapologetically rooted in your values doesn’t close doors; in fact, it opened them – and for that I thank God.

To this day, I believe I am still living in the shadow – or maybe the light – of that very first performance of This is not a Humanising Poem. I thank God for the miraculous nature of Ramadan 2017 and the Roundhouse Poetry Slam.

The Roundhouse Poetry Slam, in partnership with Taylor Wessing, will celebrate its 20th Final on Thursday 17 April, in person at the Roundhouse and broadcast live on YouTube.