Saakshi Patel was born and raised in Bombay.
She is currently making poems at The Writer's Studio by Simon Fraser University’s School of Continuing Studies.
Saakshi earned an MA in Poetry with Distinction from Queen's University Belfast, where she was awarded the Seamus Heaney Centre International Scholarship, the Ireland Chair of Poetry Student Award and the John Hewitt International Summer School Bursary. Saakshi got her BA in English Literature and Language from the University of British Columbia. She has taught courses in poetry, short fiction and academic writing in Vancouver colleges.
Saakshi’s poems have been anthologised in print in the "Washing Windows" series by Arlen House (2025, ’24, ’23 and ’22), in "The Best Asian Poetry 2021-22" by Kitaab, in "Local Wonders" by Dedalus Press, and in "AHVAZ//AAVAZ//AVAAZ", a chapbook by the League of Canadian Poets. Her poetry has also appeared in Catatonic Daughters literary magazine, The Honest Ulsterman and yolk literary journal. She was featured as an emerging female poet of colour in "Breaking Ground Ireland", a project by the Cúirt International Festival of Literature.
Saakshi has performed poetry readings at Enabling Arts in Vancouver, the Northern Soul Roadshow by the Irish Writers Centre, the Installation Ceremony of Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton as the Chancellor of Queen's University Belfast, the Music and Mind Festival, the Ireland Chair of Poetry Award-Winner Showcase, on Poetry Day Ireland and at the Habitat Cafe in Bombay.
