SuAndi was born in Hulme, Manchester, with absolutely no aspirations to be a writer - though at an early age she joined a dancing school and had dreams of a life not as the first Black ballet dancer, but as a contemporist. She literally walked into the arts as a model, the poet was quick to follow, and since 1985 she has expanded her portfolio of work into diverse locations, from galleries to public artwork. She is the freelance Cultural Director of National Black Arts Alliance, a recipient of a NESTA Dreamtime award. In 1999 she was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Honours list for her contributions to the Black Arts Sector and in 2015 she received an honorary doctorate from Lancaster University
