The Team – Obsidian Foundation

Our team

Founder (he/him/his)

Nick Makoha

The Founder of Obsidian Nick Makoha is a Ugandan poet and playwright and based in London. His debut Kingdom of Gravity was shortlisted for the Felix Dennis Prize and nominated by The Guardian as one of the best books of 2017. A Cave Canem Graduate Fellow and Complete Works Alumni. He won the 2015 Brunel prize and 2016 Derricotte & Eady Prize for his pamphlet Resurrection Man. He was the 2019 Writer-in-Residence for The Wordsworth Trust and Wasafiri.

His play The Dark was directed by JMK award-winner Roy Alexander and shortlisted for the 2019 Alfred Fagon Award. He was one of the 2019 T.S Eliot Prize Judges looking for the best new poetry collection written in English and published in 2019 (This was the first time that a Black British poet; Roger Robinson has won the prize in its 26-year history). He was a judge for Young Poet Laureate for London for 5 years and mentored four young laureates Caleb Femi, Selina Nwulu, Aisling Fahey and Warsan Shire. He has guest lectured at the universities of Suffolk, Greenwich, Goldsmiths and Roehampton. He has been involved in TV marketing campaigns for Voices Nationwide: Celebrating Fatherhood and the Gillette, Being A Man digital campaign for The Southbank Centre. His poems appeared in The New York Times, Poetry Review, Rialto, Poetry London, Triquarterly Review, Boston Review, Callaloo, and Wasafiri.

He has an MA in creative writing from Goldsmiths University where he was Creative Entrepreneur-in-Residence. working to create an in depth online digital archive of the Metic experiences of Black British Writers. The term ‘Metic’, first used by T S Eliot, translates as foreigners or resident aliens whose allegiances are split between their homeland and their new country. Makoha is exploring how the metic experience of Black poets can develop our writing and career in a hope to de-homogenize the Black Metic experience.

Carol Rumens’s best poetry books of 2017 Nick Makoha’s first full-length collection, Kingdom of Gravity (Peepal Tree £8.99), was the 2017 debut which most excited me. Focused on Uganda during the Idi Amin dictatorship, his poetry is charged with ethical sensibility. The lines protest as they sing “the song disturbed by helicopter blades…” but they don’t simplify things: they explore, and complicate. Personal witness and artistry are one. - Carol Rumens - The Guardian

Director of Programmes (she/her/hers)

Marcelle Mateki Akita

Marcelle Mateki Akita is an author, shortlisted for the 2018 Morland Writing Scholarships, and curator of joyful programmes celebrating African and Black literatures. She produces Bernie Grant Arts Centre’s Tottenham Literature Festival and Apples and Snakes’ SPINE Festival. She previously produced the Royal African Society’s Africa Writes at the British Library, worked with the Caine Prize for African Writing and co-founded Afrikult. Her short fiction is published in journals, and her children’s books are published by Rising Star (Hachette UK). She is completing her first novel and a children’s adventure series. Marcelle is represented by The Good Literary Agency

Programmes Manager (she/her/hers)

Johanna Makoha

Johanna Makoha is the Programmes Manager of The Obsidian Foundation, where she is committed to advancing its mission to cultivate and amplify the voices of Black poets and creatives. She leads the design and delivery of impactful programs that nurture talent, foster community, and celebrate Black literary excellence. With a background in Psychology (BSc Hons) and qualifications in Holistic Therapy (ITEC Diplomas), Johanna brings a unique, people-centred approach to her work. She believes deeply in the transformative power of words and is passionate about creating spaces where authenticity, artistic freedom, and cultural expression are not only encouraged but championed. Before joining Obsidian, Johanna worked with the Youth Advocate Programme in Brixton, where she led life skills workshops for young people aged 13–19 involved in the justice system. She delivered training in anger management, conflict resolution, and personal development, while also advocating for youth voices in programme and policy decision-making. She also served as a Teaching Assistant at Archbishop Tenison’s School, supporting class teachers across key stages with core subjects including English, Maths, and PSHE. Johanna provided targeted support for students with special educational needs (SEN), including those with EHCPs, helping to build confidence and tailor learning. She prepared engaging classroom materials and assisted in monitoring student progress, contributing to reports and parent communication. In this role, she also promoted positive behaviour, pastoral care, and Christian values while maintaining an inclusive and nurturing learning environment. Through strategic coordination and meaningful engagement, Johanna aims to build sustainable, supportive frameworks that empower Black writers to thrive and shape the cultural landscape.

Director of Communications (she/her/hers)

Keren Lasme

Keren Lasme is a photographer, interdisciplinary artist, independent researcher and freelance Web and Brand Designer based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire and working around the world. She holds an MA in African Studies from SOAS University of London with a major in African Philosophy.

Keren Lasme is a photographer, multidisciplinary artist, independent researcher and freelance Web and Brand Designer based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire and working around the world. She holds an MA in African Studies from SOAS University of London with a major in African Philosophy.

She was a finalist of Ellipse Art Projects 2022 visual competition in Côte d’Ivoire. She also won the 2021 Prince Claus See Award for her project Kokoba: Meeting Our Griots / À la Rencontre de nos Griots, a cultural project that sits at the intersection of art, research, archiving, documenting and education. It centers African literatures while fostering collective learning, consciousness-raising experiences, transmission, human connections and transgenerational dialogues.

Keren Lasme has experience in the literature sector in London (GB) having worked for Afrikult, a literary organisation working at the intersection of arts, culture and education with a focus on widening access to African literatures. She has also curated cultural events in Abidjan (CIV) and her works features in several art publications like PhMuseum, OATH magazine, SOMETHING WE AFRICANS GOT.