Jaia Hamid Bashir is the author of *The Afterlife of Sweetness* (Ohio State University Press, 2026) and the chapbook *Desire/Halves* (Nine Syllables, 2024). As the daughter of Pakistani artists, she has contributed poetry to esteemed publications such as *POETRY Magazine*, *The American Poetry Review*, *The Virginia Quarterly Review*, *Narrative*, and various journals both nationally and internationally. Additionally, her speculative fiction has appeared in *Black Warrior Review* and *Nimrod Journal*. Bashir has received several accolades, the Zócalo Public Square Poetry Prize and the Ralph Hamilton Editors’ Prize from Rhino Poetry, as as honors from the Gloriazaldúa Poetry Prize, the Leonard Cohen Poetry Prize, and the Best of the Net award. In Spring 2026, she served as a visiting poet at Westminster University. Beyond her literary pursuits, she is a luxury wedding and event professional, painter, and a versatile creative. Her wide-ranging expertise allows her to inf a distinctive artistry into each project, establishing her a sought-after professional in the creative sector.