Bassey Ikpi
Poet · Writer · Advocate
Bassey Ikpi is a Nigerian-born American poet, writer and advocate who became widely known through HBO’s Def Poetry Jam. She later wrote the essay collection I’m Telling the Truth, but I’m Lying, which became a New York Times bestseller and explores memory, identity and her experience of living with bipolar II disorder. [2]
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Career and work
Ikpi first became widely known as a spoken-word poet, appearing on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam and later joining the touring company of its Tony Award-winning Broadway production. She performed on stages internationally and published essays in outlets including The New York Times, The Root and OkayAfrica. [3]
In 2019, she published I’m Telling the Truth, but I’m Lying, a collection of autobiographical essays about memory, identity and mental health. The book became an instant New York Times bestseller. [2]
What has been publicly discussed
“I don’t suffer from anything, I live with a condition.”
— Bassey Ikpi [1]
