Raïssa Yowali

Raïssa Yowali is a Belgian-Congolese poet and performer born in Brussels. She self-published her first collection D'aussi longtemps que je me souvienne, je me suis pensée au masculin pour embrasser les filles (Prix Fintro and Prix du public 2024 in French-language literature) and collaborated on several others (Selfies, On ne s'excuse de rien Tome II, En lettres noires, (Grands)-mères en lumière). Under the guidance of Joëlle Sambi, she performed in Koko Slam Gang at the Théâtre National de Bruxelles and Espace Magh, before flying to Kinshasa for a playwriting course with the Théâtre du Fleuve company (David Ilunga and Tinah Way). She devised short forms such as her performance L'Accident, presented twice at the Maison Poème, and Smog, whose working stages were performed at the Fame festival at the invitation of Valérie Cordy for états du Monde, and at the Jacques Franck, at the invitation of Julie Lombe.

At the same time, she works as a cultural journalist, enjoying discovering theatrical and cinematographic works, but above all discussing with artists their creative process, their relationship to art and to the world. She is a member of La Salve (Critique à la Bellone project) and collaborates with various magazines (Surimpressions and La Pointe) and collectives (La Verrière). She is also dramaturge and co-programmer of a queer film festival in Brussels, Pinkscreens.