Wangeci Gitau
Wangeci Gitau (she/they) is a Gikũyũ writer and artist born in Kenya and residing in Lawrence, Massachusetts. She is the author of three poetry collections: there’s the truth and there’s other things (2019) and i’m not allowed to explain (only foreshadow and reminisce) (2021) and Coka Mũciĩ (2026) which explore themes of memory, migration, and identity.
Her writing has been featured in Here to Stay: Poetry and Prose from the Undocumented Diaspora (HarperCollins 2024), the Bread Loaf School of English Journal, and on stages across the country, including UC Berkeley’s Center for Race and Gender, the Huntington Theatre, and WGBH’s Stories from the Stage. Wangeci is the co-founder and prose-editor of Exposed Brick Literary Magazine which has amplified artists locally and globally since 2019.
As a Lawrence resident for two decades, Wangeci has been an active community member and educator for many years. She taught in the Lawrence Public Schools for seven years, was on the Bread and Rose Heritage Committee as a board member, volunteer and performer, has been a collaborating teaching artist with Elevated Thought and now works for Junior Achievement helping young people with financial literacy, career readiness and entrepreneurship.