Kemi Alemoru
about me
Writer, host, consultant
Culture editor of gal-dem, former staff writer at Dazed. Available for freelance opportunities
about me
London-based, Manchester born
Culture editor of gal-dem, former staff writer at Dazed. Available for freelance opportunities
.png)
_edited.png)
and more...
Writer // editor // host // consultant
I specialised in entertainment during my MA Magazine Journalism course at City University London and spent the following five years interviewing the likes of NAO who revealed she used to try and pick up guys at the YMCA as a teen, or Naomi Campbell who took me to an orphanage to watch as a child was given her name, or Beyonce's dad and the other lost Destiny's children on the early days of the girl group's success.
Others interviewed include Alicia Keys, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Kali Uchis, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Daniel Kaluuya, Zayn Malik, IAMDDB, Issa Rae (twice), Teyana Taylor ( also twice), Spike Lee, Mary J. Blige, Kehlani, Emma Stone, Justin Theroux, Wu-Tang Clan, Billy Porter, Burna Boy, MNEK, Doja Cat, Popcaan, and Janet Mock. I've also written cover stories for Crack, CR Fashion Book, Clash, gal-dem and Brick magazine.
Alongside chasing celebrities I write about pop culture, art and photography, music and dabble in social commentary. I love to identify and analyse trends within culture. Occasionally I also write about fashion, as a treat.
I've also penned essays for two recently published books; 'Caribbean bodies, Northern Soul' in Mother Country edited by Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff and '"I Hate You!": How I Finally Learned To Understand My Mum' in gal-dem's anthology I Will Not Be Erased.
My commercial bylines include partnerships with Nike, Adidas, and Carhartt. And I've penned music biographies and provided media training for artists at Sony, Universal and Toast Press.
Besides writing I fulfill my passion for hearing the sound of my own sultry northern tones via my work on radio, television, and panels. I previously co-hosted a current affairs show on Balamii with Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff, and have since appeared on BBC Woman's Hour, Talk Radio, Foundation FM, and Somerset House Studios. I also presented in short films for BBC 3 and Channel 4.
Additionally, I was invited to host a day of talks at Adidas HQ in Herzogenaurach, Germany, curated talks for Manchester International Festival and the V&A, and have spoken on panels for clients like Ace & Tate, Burberry and Converse.
You can currently catch me introducing exciting acts at Soho House for 180 House's Future First's series and hosting my own Homegrown series of talks at Greek Street.
Unlike George Foreman, sometimes my work doesn't have my name on it. My day job (Monday-Thursday) is to edit gal-dem's Culture section publishing articles about all the things that make this life bearable: film and tv, theatre, books, subcultures, internet culture, pop culture, art and photography.
It's a place for discovery, for sh*t hot analysis, and new voices and perspectives. To aid this I've also facilitated writing and pitching workshops with new freelancers and in colleges and universities. As Culture Editor, I've created feature formats, produced, conceptualised and styled photoshoots and during lockdown launched 'Me, Myself and I' a series in honour of self-portraiture to illustrate that there are still creative possibilities even when alone. For our video offering, I created 'gal-dem Meets' a series of celebrity interviews including Jamie Foxx and Melina Matsoukas amassing on average 15k views per video. In early 2021 I launched our film channel 'Shorties' that spotlights the work of up-and-coming filmmakers.
I aim to curate an affirming space that reflects the lives and loves of women of colour.
If you're a brand and you need advice from someone with their finger on the pulse then you can follow in the footsteps of Dr Martens, Mixcloud, and MTM and get in touch.
