Naniso Tswai is a Berlin-based author and academic. His work is strongly embedded in broader issues of justice and peace, particularly as these relate to human rights and identity. Over the past five years he has shifted his focus from academic writing to fictional writing, this has come in the form of short stories and novels. He is also a Spoken Word performer, an artistic outlet which allows him to express himself with a different voice. He is the founder and current co-director of Berlin Spoken Word (BSW). BSW is an international group working on various projects based in Berlin. Its main event – which draws an audience of over 60 people each week – is a weekly open mic night providing a familiar space for spoken word poetry, stories, music, comedy and more. Several times throughout the year it invites international artists to be featured performers at the event. In addition to the open mic night, BSW also runs various other projects. Most prominently, these include Sharing Words that Matter (SWTM) and Berlin Unspoken.  SWTM is guerilla poetry outreach project which aims to spread awareness and engage the community in current and continuing social and political issues. Berlin Unspoken is BSW’s literary magazine. It features both local and international artists and is published quarterly.