About Dominique Ahkong
Dominique Ahkong is a poet, writer, and creative dabbler of Hakka-Mauritian descent. Born in the United Kingdom and raised in Singapore, she now lives in North Central Arizona, where she co-edits Shō Poetry Journal. Her work often explores themes of identity, migration, memory, and the subtle complexities of everyday life.
Ahkong’s poetry blends lyrical storytelling with a visual sensibility shaped by her background in literature, media, and digital storytelling. Her multicultural upbringing and interdisciplinary training inform poems that move fluidly between personal narrative, cultural reflection, and imaginative exploration.
Today, she continues to write, edit, and contribute to literary communities while living in Arizona’s high desert landscape.
Education
Dominique Ahkong’s academic background combines literary study with digital media and storytelling.
New York University — Tisch School of the Arts
Master of Professional Studies (M.P.S.), Interactive Telecommunications Program, 2009
Coursework included:
- Methods of Motion
- Collective Storytelling
- 2×2: Short Narratives for Tiny Screens
- Frame by Frame: Creation and Manipulation of the Moving Image
Middlebury College
Bachelor of Arts in Women’s & Gender Studies (Focus on Literature in English), 2005
Minor in French
Coursework included:
- Poetry
- Fiction
- Sight and Sound I & II
- The Visual Language of Editing
Poetry Mentorships & Literary Programs
Dominique Ahkong has participated in several notable poetry workshops and mentorship programs that helped shape her development as a poet.
Mentor Access Project — National Arts Council Singapore (2011–2012)
Mentored by poet Alvin Pang.
Center for Book Arts — New York City (2009)
Letterpress Printing & Fine Press Publishing Seminar for Emerging Writers.
Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference — Middlebury College (2003)
Scholarship recipient in poetry.
Workshop leader: Steve Orlen.
Awards & Honors
Dominique Ahkong’s poetry has been widely recognized by literary journals and national poetry awards.
- Best New Poets 2024 – “Witch of the East,” nominated by Fugue, selected by Anders Carlson-Wee
- Pushcart Prize Nominee (Volume LI) – “My Boss’s Husband Watches Me Slice Brioche,” nominated by The McNeese Review
- Pushcart Prize Nominee (Volume L) – “Reunion Dinner,” nominated by The Cincinnati Review
- Best New Poets 2024 Nominee – “Ghazal for Familiar Women,” nominated by Sugar House Review
- The Ronald Moran Prize in Poetry – “A Man Who Looks Like Your Best Friend’s Father,” awarded by The South Carolina Review
- Finalist, 2024 Slapering Hol Chapbook Contest – When a Plant Goes to Seed
Dominique Ahkong in Arizona’s Poetry Community
Now based in North Central Arizona, Dominique Ahkong remains active in the literary world as both a poet and editor. As co-editor of Shō Poetry Journal, she contributes to publishing and supporting contemporary poetry while continuing to develop her own body of work.
Her poems frequently engage with themes of cultural memory, belonging, and the unexpected textures of daily life, bringing a global perspective to the Arizona poetry community.
