The Poet
Cornell University
BS Clinical Nutrition & Minor Pre-Med
Tufts University
Internal Medicine Internship
Michigan State University
Doctorate of Medicine
Harvard University
Ophthalmology Resident & Clinical Fellow
Hall is a trained medical-surgical eye physician and graduate of Cornell and Harvard Universities. An internationally acclaimed poet, he has composed poetry and performed readings throughout the U. S. and internationally to include – Kenya, Indonesia, France, Jamaica, Morocco, Canada, Nepal, Italy, Ghana, Japan, India and Germany.
Dr. Hall is an award-winning author of eight books of poetry:
Nigger for Life – Grand Prize Winner: The Do – It -Yourself and The Los Angeles Book Awards
Winter’s A’ Coming Still
Where Do I Sit.
Appalling Silence – Telugu and Urdu translations, published in India
Weight of Just Black – Japanese translation, published in Japan; nominated for Japan’s best translation
Door of No Return – Black Caucus of the American Library Association Winner
The Trembling Tiber – a black poet’s muse on Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Winner – Greece’s Eyelands Award
The Systems We Caste – Winner – India’s Wingword International Poetry Award
Bilingual Manuscript (English & Spanish) accepted for 2022 publishing – Cultura Sin Limites, Publisher, Spain
Essay – The Role of Dystopia in Preserving the Oneself – Publication: Living Dystopian: Post Millennial Perceptions and Post Pandemic Realities commissioned by The Inspirate Arts Foundation, Kolkata, India. 14 contributors (professional academics, writers and poet) worldwide to include USA, UK, France, Italy, South Korea and India. Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing – Fall of 2022
His work has been translated into eight languages: Telugu, Urdu, Bengali, Kannada, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish.
Hall’s poetry speaks beyond the surface pain of injustice and inhumanity deep into that pain labeled and package into genteel socio-political-economic-religious constructs to hide the subjugator and subjugation blur the common lines of cause, that is our shared story. A shared story that should unite us in a common struggle to be free.
Hall has been hailed “as the Malcolm X of International Poetry; a poet of intellectual passion and artistic significance whose poetry has consistently championed socio-economic and socio-political issues pertinent to social advocacy, of which we are a part, and of which poetry is pivotal.”
Cornel West remarked “[he] is a warrior of the spirit, a warrior of the mind, an activist, a poet. I sense Dr. Hall’s hypersensitivity to suffering – Martin, Malcolm and Jesus all had this hypersensitivity. Both sides of his soul have prophetic leanings. His poetry has the capacity to change ordinary people’s philosophy on social and racial issues.”
India’s revered Vasanth Kannabiran remarked: “This is poetry that scalds you into waking up to the possibility that you are perhaps one of those silent spectators. All in all he is a poet. And unquestionably one of the most significant voices of the century.”
Kenya’s Auma Obama said of Hall’s work – “blatantly blunt, painfully honest and, as always, breathtakingly unapologetic. Hall’s language is simple but intense, not sparing his readers, not compromising his delivery for the sake of a pretentious feel-good factor. Hall is not on a quest for apologies, empathy, sympathy – and least of all, pity. Brutally descriptive, he writes simply to tell it as it is! No holes barred. To call Hall brave, even courageous, would be to undermine the power of his work. Because he is not out to save, absolve or convert the world. His work simply unashamedly and uncompromisingly calls a spade a spade!
Hall’s work informed and provided dialogue for the critically acclaimed Kolkata, Indian play – Beyond Borders. The all-female cast explored the boundaries of nationality, caste, color, ethnicity, gender, sexuality—walls men erect to garner socio-economic resources to ease their fears, insecurities, and hunger for power.
Literary Awards:
2021 Finalist of Greece’s Eyelands Book Awards – Nigger For Life – Published Poetry
2021 National Book Authors Tour -The Trembling Tiber – a black poet’s muse on Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar
2020 Winner Wingword International Poetry Prize, Delhi, India
2020 Finalist Eyelands International Book Award – Diary of The Heart
2020 Readers’ Favorite International Book Award – Gold Medal Winner – Poetry – Inspirational
2020 Winner – Three Rock Writers’ Resort Residency Program. Crete, Greece – Diaries of The Heart
2019 Winner – Black Caucus of the American Library Association Best Poetry Book Award
2019 Winner – Greece’s Eyelands International Book Awards (Greece) – Unpublished poetry category
2019 Finalist – Greece’s Eyelands International Book Award (Greece) – Published poetry category
2019 Runners-Up, The Half and One Prize – One of India’s biggest prize money competitions promoting the best in Indian and international writing
2017 Weight of Just Black (Japanese Translation) nominated for Japan Best Translation Award
2015 Aditi Foundation Dhwani Fellowship, Bangalore, India: Kannada translation of Dr. Hall’s work
2012 Poetry Spoken Word Winner, Ubud Writers & Readers’ International Festival, Bali Indonesia
Book Awards:
Nigger For Life:
- Grand Prize Winner: The Do – It -Yourself Book Festival and 2. The Los Angeles Book Awards
- First Place Prize for Poetry in: The Greater Southeast, Florida, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Great Midwest, Southern California, Do-It-Yourself, San Francisco, National Beverly Hills Book Awards, Great Northwest, Great Southwest, Pacific Rim, Los Angeles, New England, New York Book Awards.
- Finalist-2021 Finalist of Greece’s Eyelands Book Awards – Published Poetry
Winter’s A’ Coming Still:
- First Place Prize for Poetry in the Florida, Southern California, San Francisco, New England, New York, Paris, Los Angeles, London, Pacific Rim, Great Midwest, Amsterdam, Great Northwest and Great Southwest Book Awards.
Where Do I Sit:
- First Place Prize for Poetry: Hollywood, Northern California, Southern California, Great Midwest Florida, London, Great Northwest, Great Southwest, Los Angles, Paris, San Francisco, New England and New York book awards
Weight of Just Black (Japanese Translation)
- Nominated for the Japan Best Translation Book Award 2017
Door of No Return:
- 2019 National Black Caucus of the American Library Association Best Poetry Book
- First Place Prize: New York Poetry Book award
- 2019 Finalist- Eyelands International Book Awards (Greece) – Published poetry
The Trembling Tiber:
- 2020 Readers’ Favorite InternationalBook Award -Gold Medal Winner – Poetry – Inspirational
- 2019 Winner- Eyelands International Book Awards (Greece) – Unpublished category
Dairy of the Heart: currently in manuscript form
- 2020 Finalist Eyelands International Book Award – Winner to be announced 12.20
- 2020 Winner-Three Rock Writers’ Resort Residency Program. Crete, Greece
The Systems We Caste:
- 2020 Winner Wingword International Poetry Prize, Delhi, India
https://issuu.com/delhipoetryslam/docs/the_systems_we_caste or https://cutt.ly/PPUz8z2
Writer’s Residencies/Awards:
- Three Rock Writers’ Resort Residency Program Spring/Summer. Crete, Greece, 2020
- Awarded AIRS Poet in Residence, The Lemon Tree Artist Residency, Siena Province, Italy, 2020
- Sapporo Tenjinyama Art Studio, Hokkaido Sapporo, Japan, 2020
- Sapporo Tenjinyama Art Studio, Hokkaido Sapporo, Japan, 2019
- The Lemon Tree House, Siena Province, Italy, 2018
- Honorary Citation recognizing Hall’s use of poetry to illuminate & spark conversation about social & racial issues, City Council, City of Philadelphia, PA, USA 2018
- Sapporo Tenjinyama Art Studio, Hokkaido Sapporo, Japan, 2017
- Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, Omaha, NE, USA, 2017
- Sapporo Tenjinyama Art Studio, Hokkaido Sapporo, Japan, 2016
- Visiting Scholar – American Academy In Rome, Rome Italy, 2016
- Sangam House International Writer’s Residence, Bangalore, India 2015-2016
- Poet/Scholar-In-Resident, Sponsor: Council For Social Development, Poetry translated into Telugu and Urdu. Hyderabad, India, 2015
- Manthan, Hyderabad, India – India’s premier platform for thought leaders worldwide to share their thoughts and for high quality debates. manthanindia.com/about-us/, 2015
- Resident (Poet) In Writing, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, Vermont, U.S., 2015
Appearances, Featured Invites:
2022
African Brain Bank Annual Summitl, Atlanta, Georgia
National Black Arts Spoken Word Tour Festival, Univ of Penn, Philadelphia, PA
AfricaOnline TV Media Corp: The Man The Myth, The Poet by Host Prophetess Lisa Parks
https://fb.watch/dt8XyLWtG8/
Shakespeare Beyond Borders Alliance, Shakespeare Institute, Birmingham University, England
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5TjiPIpilP8sxmZRs9w7Ft2Z-GW_h1lr
Multicultural Education Course, Social & Behavioral Sciences Dept. St. Louis Community College
Master and Ph.D. Class: Deconstructing White Supremacy, Temple Univ. Prof. Nwadiora
Women’s Rights as Human Rights Conference, The World Center for Women Studies
State of the Union: Black Economics – Race, Class, Culture and Civil Unions
2021
3rd International Conference Paulo Freire: The Global Legacy, St. Louis Missouri
Three Graduate Classes: Deconstructing White Supremacy, Temple Univ. Prof. Nwadiora
The Pier-Glass Poetry, Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, VA, https://youtu.be/YCBzqkkrmes
African-Canada Story Telling and Cultural Festival, Surrey, Canada
The Poets House, Camden NJ
Black Author Book Tour, Philadelphia, PA
A Place in Time Camden County Historical society, Camden, NJ
Black History Month and African Heritage, Canada
2020
Tsuda University-one of Japan’s oldest esteemed women’s universities, Tokyo, Japan
The Wild Crazy Ride of the Marvin X Experience. Black Arts Movement, Oakland, CA
Moonstone Art Center’s Virtual Poetry Reading, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jamaica International Poetry Festival, Kingston, Jamaica
The Future Ancients with Luka Lesson, Renowned Poet, Brisbane, Australia
United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent Public Forum, Surrey, Canada
2019
Social Justice in Practice and Policy, College of Public Health–School of Social Work, Temple University
Hobart and William Smith Colleges,
African Stages of British Columbia, Vancouver Canada
Fuji Women’s University, Sapporo Japan
Dept. of African American Studies, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
JALT of Hokkaido, Sapporo, Japan
University of Tre, World Poetry Day, Rome Italy
2018
Feature read School of Health Professions & Social Work, Graduate Class, “The Psycho-dynamics of Race, Class & Culture” Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Feature read United Nations International Decade For People of African Descent, Vancouver, Canada
Feature read, Bridgewater International Poetry Festival, Bridgewater Virginia, USA
Feature read, English Language & Translation, Santa Chiara University, Frascati, Rome, Italy
Feature read, with Italian Poet Luciano Cecchinel, University of Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
Mayor’s Commission on African & Caribbean Immigrant Affairs, Philadelphia, PA, USA
2017
Bemis Center For Contemporary Arts, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Hokkai Gakuen University, Sapporo, Japan
Hokusei Gakuen University, Sapporo, Japan
Fuji’s Women’s University, Sapporo, Japan
University of British Columbia, Vancouver Canada
Reading before The Honorable Keshari Nath Tripathi, Governor of The State of West Bengal, India
MA&BA Postcolonial Literature & Poetry, Dept. of English, Jadavpur, Univer, Kolkata, India
The theater production of ‘ Beyond Borders ‘ by The Creative Arts Theater, Kolkata, India
Dept. of Comparative Literature, Jadavpur, University, Kolkata, India
International Poetry & Sister Arts Festival, Cesena, Italy http://festivalpoesiaarti.wixsite.com/poesiaartisorelle
Doctoral Class, Blues Traditions, American Studies, Prof. Schroder, University of Tre, Rome, Italy
Performing Poetry: Neal Hall and Irish poet Eileán Ní Chuilleanáin, University of Tre, Rome, Italy
The African Stage, Vancouver, Canada
Poetry Paradigm Group, Kolkata, India
International Kolkata Book Fair, Feature read with Sahitya Akademi winner Dr. S Sarkar, Kolkata, India
The Creative Art Center, Kolkata, India
Brahmaputra Festival, Guwahati, Assam, India
Srijan Poetry Society, Kolkata, India
Rhythm Divine Poets Society, Kolkata, India
University of Calcutta, Depts of English, Linguistic & Journalism & Mass Communication, Kolkata, India
Jadavpur University, School of Women’s Studies, Kolkata India
Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival, Kolkata, India
2016
African American Studies Graduate Class, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
The Consulate General of the United States of America, Sapporo, Japan
African American Studies Class, Hokusei Gakuen University, Sapporo, Japan
James Rivers Writer’s Conference, Richmond, VA
Indo-American Arts Council Literary Festival, Kimmel Center, Ny, Ny
Ghana’s Story Moja Literary Festival, Ghana
Azadi Ke Hum Matwale, Poetry Reading, Chief Guest, Hyderabad, India
Lamakaan Cultural Center, Hyderabad, India
National Academy of Legal Studies and Research Law School, Hyderabad, India
Feature Read with 2013 Sahitya Akademi Award winner Dr. Subodh Sarkar, Kolkata, India
A Monsoon Evening of Poetry, The American Literature and Culture Interest Group, Kolkata, India
Bangalore Poetry Festival, Bangalore, India
District of Pfaffenhofen, Bavaria Germany, Invite by Cultural Minster, Pfaffenhofen, Germany
University Prep – Schyren-Gymnasium High School, Invite English Dept., Pfaffenhofen, Germany
Department of Human Rights and Political Science, University Padova, Padova, Italy
CSOA Sans Papier, CSOA Sans Papier, #Occupy BankItalia since 2005, Rome, Italy
Center For American Studies, one of the leading centers for American Studies in Europe, Rome, Italy
Keynote Speaker/ Featured Poet, Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, VA,
Lamakaan Cultural Center, Hyderabad, India – http://www.lamakaan.com
Lekhana Writer’s Festival, Bangalore, India
Hyderabad Literary Festival, Hyderabad, India
2015
National Academy of Letters Sahitya Akademi – Bangalore, India
Bangalore Literary Festival, Bangalore, India
Indo-American Arts Council Literary Festival, NY, NY
Poetry Panelists James Rivers Writer’s Conference, Richmond, VA
Poetry On The Lake, Orta, Italy
Sacramento Black Book Festival, Sacramento, CA
World Poetry Day, Italian National Commission for UNESCO & University of Rome Tre, Museo dell’ Alto Medio Evo, Rome, Italy. Poems translated /read in Italian, read in Italian.
Pan African Slam 2015, Cafe deux Soleils, Vancouver, Canada
Black History Month: Celebration of Black History, Strathcona, Vancouver, Canada
Hyderabad Literary Festival, Hyderabad, India, Jan
2014
Bridgewater College International Literary Festival, Bridgewater, VA, Selected one of the top 13 poets of the 120 poets in attendance reading their work.
Deep Travel Literary Journey, Kathmandu, Bundapur & Pokhara, Nepal
United Black Canadian Community Association’s 11th Celebration of the Black Strathcona and Heritage of Black Community for Vancouver City, Vancouver, Canada
Winnipeg Anarchist Book Festival, Winnipeg, Canada
Story Moja International Literary Festival, Nairobi, Kenya, Dr. Hall’s tribute poem (Ne’er More) to Ghana’s poet Prof. Kofi Awoonor killed in the 2013 Westgate terrorist attack, Nairobi, Kenya was selected as one of the three 2014 festival’s poems.
Jamaica Poetry Festival, Kingston, Jamaica,
Spoken Word Paris, Au Chat Noir, Paris, France
Deep Travel Literary Tour, Fez & Moulay Idriss (Roman Ruins), Morocco,
Poetry On The Lake Festival, Lake Maggerio, Italy
Readings: Ashland, OR and Tell It Slant Poetry, Portland, OR, http://ijpr.org/post/doctorpoet-neal-hall
Bowery Poetry, Invited by Bowery Art + Science, NY, NY
IDEA, Performing Arts Center, Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, N.J.
NYC Anarchist Book Fair Collective, Main Stage NY, NY
Art Sanctuary’s Celebration of Black Writing, Philadelphia, PA.
2013
West Hollywood Book Festival, West Hollywood, CA
Storymoja Hay International Literary Festival, Nairobi, Kenya
2012
Ubud Writers & Readers International Festival, Bali, Indonesia
Paul Robeson House Museum, Philadelphia, PA
Guest Poet: Colleges/Universities/High Schools:
- Tsuda University-Japan’s oldest and most esteemed women’s university, Tokyo, Japan
- Hobart and William Smith Colleges,
- Hokkai Gakuen University, Sapporo, Japan
- Hokusei Gakuen University, Sapporo, Japan
- Fuji’s Women’s University, Sapporo, Japan
- MA & BA Postcolonial Literature & Poetry, Dept. of English, Jadavpur, University, Kolkata, India,
- of Comparative Literature, Jadavpur, University, Kolkata, India
- Reading-doctoral seminar class, Blues Traditions, Program of American Studies, Prof. Schroder, University of Tre, Rome, Italy
- Doctoral seminar class, Blues Traditions, American Studies, Univ. of Rome Tre, Rome, Italy
- of Calcutta, Depts of English, Linguistic & Journalism & Mass Communication, Kolkata, India
- Jadavpur University, School of Women’s Studies, Kolkata India
- African American Studies Graduate Class, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- African American Studies Class, Hokkai Gakuen University, Sapporo, Japan
- English Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India
- Department of Human Rights and Political Science, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- English Literary Studies at English & Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, India,
- Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad, India,
- University of Hyderabad, Dept. of Communications & Journalism, Hyderabad, India,
- African Student Association of Hyderabad, India
- University Student poets – U.S. Consulate – American Corner, Hyderabad, India
- National Academy of Legal Studies and Research, Law School, Hyderabad, India, 2015 & 2016
- Africana Studies Dept, Cornell, University, Ithaca, NY
- School of Health Professions & Social Work, Graduate Class, “The Psycho-dynamics of Race, Class & Culture” Temple University , Philadelphia, PA
- Martin Luther King, Symposium on Social Change, Univ. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, Black Student Union, Ithaca, New York
- University of The Sciences in Philadelphia, African American Studies Class, Philadelphia, PA
- English Dept., Baltimore Polytechnic Institute High School, Baltimore, MD
- Sancta Maria International High School. Hyderabad, India
- Vidyaranya High School, Hyderabad, India
- Delhi Public School, Hyderabad, India
Literary and Academic Review Journals:
The Stewardship Report http://www.stewardshipreport.com Oct 29th, 2015
Muse India– the literary e-journal, issues 62 Jul-Aug 2015; http://www.museindia.com/viewarticle.asp?myr=2015&issid=62&id=5909
Their Own Bare Hands, Bridgewater College International Poetry Festival Anthology, 2015
The Thinker – South Africa’ s leading progressive social and political commentary magazine produced to feature world-wide thought leaders:
Poems: Where Do I Sit. & Golf Ball White – Quarter 4, 2015, Vol. 66
Poem: Dr. Nigger – Quarter 1, 2014, Vol. 59
Ethnicity and Race in a Changing World: A Review Journal: Volume 2; Issue 2; Winter/Spring 2011, Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre, Univ. of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Hiram Poetry Review, Issue 72, Spring 2011, Hiram College, Hiram Ohio
Library Investiture of Nigger For Life Book:
John Henrik Clarke Africana Library, Cornell University
The James Weldon Johnson Collection, The Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale Univ.
Poetry Library, London, UK
Andersonian Library, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland
Poets House, National Poetry Library and Literary Center, NY, NY
University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus, Guyan
Black Writers Museum, Philadelphia, PA
Univ. of Manchester’s Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre, Manchester, UK