Usha Akella, Founder & Director

Usha Akella

2015-Present

A daughter, ten authored books, three in editorial capacity, The Poetry Caravan, Matwaala and www.the-pov.com are Usha’s gifts to and from Life. She was a finalist for Austin's first Poet Laureate in 2025. She is a visionary, for whom ‘us’ means more than ‘I’, and this core value reflects in her poetry activism.

Usha is the idea person behind Matwaala. Sharing space, creating platforms, and promoting and celebrating others on her journey as a poet is instinctual. Matwaala was born in her living room in Austin. Her sincerity has earned Matwaala goodwill, and manifested 'miracles' to its unfolding story. She lives in the world as a poet in the belief that poetry is an eternal river, and poets are temporary, but one tribe. She is fueled by the passion to share South Asian poetry with the world, as well as extending bridges with other writing communities. She brims with future ideas, and envisions 'the next step' in Matwaala's journeying. She is invested in working to invite partnerships and collaborations, and most of all hoping. Hoping to make a dent, impact & splash through Matwaala’s programs. She is convinced, SA poets will become an integrated American voice in its poetry landscape only if they move forward together.

She is involved with every aspect of Matwaala's work and output--programs, design, website content, networks, and panels. She has been responsible for generating ideas such as the poetry wall, Matwaala's big read, collaborations with the Academy of American Poets' poem-a-day series, and Poets & Writers.

Usha has earned Masters in Creative Writing at the University of Cambridge, English Literature at the University of Hyderabad, and Graphic Design/Creative Writing at the University of Baltimore. When she reads poetry lines that arrest time, she feels privileged to be alive in this world as a poet --even if she’s not the one writing the lines that make her soar at times.

She loves Korean and Chinese sitcoms, the film medium, visiting museums and art galleries, and music of all kinds--and, Vegetarian Pho, and Avial. Her closest friends know she loves to laugh and clown in spite of being stuck with a serious demeanor and addressing grave concerns in her poetry. She dreams of an egalitarian world--sometimes it has been at the cost of her own comfort or reputation. Challenging illnesses and bodily suffering have been part of her journey being human, and her poetry is proof that she knows the soul triumphs

For a formal bio, click here.

Usha's resume:

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LINKS
Projects:
www.matwaala.com – Founder, Poetry collective and Festival.
www.the-pov.com – Founder, curated written interviews website.

Articles/Interviews/Reviews:
1.https://www.globalindian.com/story/art-culture/i-have-tried-to-do-good-in-the-world-via-poetry-usha-akella-giving-south-asian-poets-a-platform-in-the-us/