Short Bio
Khaya Ronkainen is a poet, writer, editor, and independent author. She is the author of three poetry collections: the full-length, The Sheltering (2022), and the chapbooks, From the Depth of Darkness (2019) and Seasons Defined (2018). Her writings appear in various international journals, such as Brittle Paper, Kalahari Review, Spillwords Press and others, as well as in anthologies. Originally from South Africa, Khaya now calls Finland home and where she lives with her husband.
Long Bio
Khaya Ronkainen is a poet, writer, editor, and independent author. Drawing inspiration from nature, personal history, and cross-cultural experiences, her writing often examines hybrid identity, home, freedom, and the restorative power of the natural world to awaken our senses.
She is the author of The Sheltering (2022), a poetry collection reflecting on the impact of global upheavals, including the pandemic and political unrest. Her publications also include two chapbooks: From the Depth of Darkness (2019) and Seasons Defined (2018). Her poems, essays and reviews appear in various international journals, such as Brittle Paper, Literary Korner Publishing, Kalahari Review, Spillwords Press and more. Some of her poems are included in anthologies such as Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku. Notably, her essay “I am Beautiful” won a third place in the 2022 Body-Positivity Essay Contest hosted at Navigating the Change, a platform for women in their menopausal journey. Khaya is a regular contributor and editorial team member at LIT eZine. She also pens a newsletter, Project Finding Beauty, to encourage an appreciation for everyday beauty.
She holds a business degree, but has also branched out into other areas of study, such as English Philology. Her cross-continental move, though, is what finally spurred her to write the stories she’d always hoped to read. She’s working on a novel about family life during the apartheid era.
In her spare time, and as a hobbyist photographer, she immerses herself in nature, trekking through the wilderness and capturing its wonders through her camera lens. Born and bred in South Africa, Khaya now calls Finland her home and where she lives with her husband.
My Creative Practice
Hiking is my faith and I'm its devotee. Photography is my means of exercising soft fascination and a closer look at the natural world. Poetry is my prayer and a church I teeter on the threshold of. Personal essay is my attempt at expressing, and fiction is my truth.
What I Care About
Language: The texture of what we dare to express
Language is not neutral—it carries histories, cultures, traditions, silences, and power. And the languages I speak function as a set of keys, unlocking doors to different worlds. As a writer, I weigh each word not just for how it sounds but for its origins and who it might exclude. The ability to read unlocks the understanding of life’s essential hidden facets, demonstrating how the written word derives its power from our deliberate use of language to convey meaning.
Stories: Whose stories, by whom, and for whom?
As a member of the FALA Network, a Finnish-African Literature Arts project, I help raise awareness and promote African literature to diverse audiences. As an editorial team member at LIT eZine, an online magazine uniting and amplifying individual voices, my role isn’t to force stories into conventional narratives, but to engage with each on its own merits and bring out its best qualities.
Nature: The paradox of writing about nature
I don’t presume Mother Nature to be voiceless. Beautiful yet ruthless, she’s a powerful advocate for herself. Hence, writing about nature is inherently political. Because we are not separate from nature; we are nature. For me, writing about the moon or a flower is to reject being boxed into a single narrative and broadening the scope of African literature.
Beauty: What is beauty and why does it matter?
Finding beauty in the mundane, that is. Cultivating gratitude and connection can lead to a more meaningful and fulfilling life, I believe. Through my newsletter, Project Finding Beauty, I encourage an appreciation of small things in life, genuine conversations, and authentic relationships.
Community: I am, because We are.
My people are my community. Social markers do not define my community. These individuals do not follow me and I do not follow them, but we walk alongside each other and sometimes in each other’s shoes. I have them in the South, in the North and in the digital world. Trust, mutual support, and shared values foster a sense of belonging.
What Fascinates Me
- Hybrid identity and multilingualism
- Making an impact through storytelling
- Writing and publishing in the digital age
- Women’s health, ageing and reinvention
- Travel and cross-cultural experiences
*Learn more about me and my work from these meaningful conversations below:
Conversations + Features
On Sheltering, Writing and Life Influences with Mona Soorma @LIT eZine
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On Making of ‘The Sheltering’ with writer, social scientist & self-confessed wanna-be visual artist Anu Hirsiaho. Music by HarumachiMusic from Pixabay
LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION
October, Seasonal Duality and Language with musical artist Laura Bruno Lilly (Part III)
READ THE CONVERSATION
October, Seasonal Duality and Language with musical artist Laura Bruno Lilly (Part II)
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On October, Seasonal Duality and Language with musical artist Laura Bruno Lilly (PART I)
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Introduce Yourself with Yecheilyah Ysrayl for PBS Blog
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Life of a Poet with Sherry Marr for Poets United
READ THE CONVERSATION