Johanna Magin holds a PhD in French literature from Columbia University, where her research focused on the intersections of philosophy and medicine in the early modern period. She has taught for over 12 years at the university level (Columbia, Sciences Po) on subjects ranging from philosophy as a way of life to the politics of poetry.
Her poems appear widely in the US, Canada, and the UK, most notably in: Narrative Magazine, Poet Lore, The Georgia Review, The Bennington Review, The Montreal International Poetry Prize Anthology, The Interpreter’s House, Wildness, The Shore, Poetry Wales, and The Nimrod International Journal. Her recent honors include: finalist for the 2025 National Poetry Series (US), shortlisted for the 2025 Fish Publishing Prize (Ireland), winner of the 2024 Loraine Williams Poetry Prize (selected by Cole Swensen, US), winner of the 2024 Francine Ringold Awards in Poetry (US), finalist for the 17th Annual Narrative Magazine Poetry Contest (US), finalist for the 2024 Montreal International Poetry Prize (Canada), finalist for the 2024 Levis Prize at Four Way Books (judged by Ilya Kaminsky, US), and longlisted for the 2024 National Poetry Competition (UK). Her work explores ambiguous grief (following Pauline Boss’ term ‘ambiguous loss’), neurodivergence and epistemic injustice, embodiment and self-understanding in late-stage capitalism, the (sometimes wondrous, sometimes callous) underbelly of urban environments, and the limitations of linguistic sense-making.
Her voice can also be heard as the host of the Mind & Life Europe Podcast, where she works as head of programs. You can listen to her interview with legendary poet Jane Hirshfield on all major podcast platforms. She currently resides in Paris.
i.magin.e 