Sonia Quintero

Councillor for Stratford Ward
Doctoral Candidate in Gender Studies
UBEL Scholarship recipient
Pronouns: they/them

Sonia Quintero is a queer Colombian-British poet and community organiser working at the intersection of migration, gender, participatory research and creative practice.

Their work focuses on community knowledge production, co-production methodologies and grassroots organising, particularly in relation to refugee communities and LGBTQ+ experiences.

Sonia is the Creative Director of Newham Poetry Group, a grassroots initiative that supports access to creative writing for people who speak English as a second or third language. The group engages marginalised communities through workshops, spoken word events, exhibitions and publishing.

Sonia is also a co-founder of Queer Newham and Borderless, local initiatives that support LGBTQ+ refugees and promote visibility, solidarity and community engagement across Newham.

Their collaborative work with local authorities, community organisations and residents addresses discrimination, hate crime, social exclusion and barriers to participation.

In 2026, Sonia was elected Councillor for Stratford Ward in the London Borough of Newham for the 2026–2030 term.

Contact information


Education

  • PhD candidate in Gender Studies at the University of East London
  • MA Conflict, Displacement and Human Security
  • BA Community Theory and Practice


Professional and community roles

  • Councillor for Stratford Ward, London Borough of Newham
  • Creative Director, Newham Poetry Group CIC
  • Co-founder, Queer Newham
  • Co-founder, Borderless
  • Volunteer Director, Terrestrial
  • Co-organiser, Queer(y)ing Asylum Symposium


Research interests

  • Gender, sexuality and migration
  • LGBTQ+ refugee experiences
  • Heteronormativity and systems of oppression
  • Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR)
  • Creative and arts-based methodologies
  • Community knowledge production
  • Participatory and decolonial methodologies
  • Refugee storytelling and belonging
  • Poetry and psychosocial wellbeing


Publications

  • Dudman, P.V., Truman, J., Press, M., Sellers, M., McBrien, J.L., Parameswaran, S., Quintero, S., Tribe, R., Berdondini, L., Imig, S. and Farsimadan, F. (2023). Displaced Voices: A Journal of Migration, Archives and Cultural Heritage, Volume 3, Issue 1. Living Refugee Archive, University of East London. Read the journal issue
  • Quintero, S. (2023). The Role of Poetry in Building Community Identity in Newham, a Psychosocial Exploration. Displaced Voices: A Journal of Archives, Migration and Cultural Heritage, 3(1), pp. 93–99. Read the article
  • Quintero, S. (2023). Using creative arts-based methods in refugees’ studies. Queer(y)ing Asylum Podcast, hosted by Garcia, D.
  • Lounasmaa, A., Masseranno, E. and Quintero, S. (2024). Writing Collaboratively in a Lockdown: Building Connections in Online Writing Groups with Refugees, Migrants and Local Communities. Springer. Read the chapter
  • Kellermann, V., Quintero, S. and Squire, C. (Eds.) (2026). All Roads Lead to London: Life Stories of Migration. Pluto Press.
  • Giametta, C., Quintero, S. and Garcia-Rodriguez, D. (In progress). A feminist participatory approach to refugee storytelling. In Unbordering the Story: Creative and Participatory Practices in Queer Asylum Research.


Conference presentations

2025

  • Using Creative Arts-Based Methodology to Build Solidarity Between LGBTQ+ and Non-LGBTQ+ Refugees. International Creative Research Methods Conference, Manchester.
  • Queering the Crisis? Reflections from Creative, Collective Research with LGBTQ+ and Non-LGBTQ+ Refugees. Queering Academia Conference, University of Westminster.
  • Participatory Research in Refugees’ Studies. Guest speaker, Research Design for Social Impact.


2024

  • Creative Methodologies in Refugee Studies: A Participatory Praxis. African Rainbow Family Conference, Manchester.
  • Rompiendo Fronteras: El Asilo Bajo la Lupa Feminista del Sur. Queering Academia, University of Westminster.
  • Poster presentation, UBEL DTP Conference, London.
  • Creative Practices and Participatory Research: Recognising LGBTQ+ Refugees’ Narratives of Home. Queer(y)ing Asylum Symposium, University of Nottingham.


2023

  • Questioning the Script: The Role of Heteronormativity in LGBTQ+ and Non-LGBTQ+ Refugee Communities. EDUCOM Festival of Research, University of East London.
  • Creative Practices, Participatory Research and Forced Migration: Recognising LGBTQ+ Refugees’ Narratives of Home. First Queer(y)ing Asylum Symposium, University of Nottingham.
  • The Impact of Systems of Oppression on the Lives of Refugee Communities. EDUCOM Conference.
  • Creative Work Showcase. Refugee Higher Education: Past, Present and Future, OLIve Programme, Budapest.

Community and creative projects


2024

  • Unfolding Stories – workshops at Royal Museums Greenwich as part of Refugee Week 2024.
  • Writing a Letter Back Home – workshop at the University of Westminster as part of Refugee Week 2024.


2023

  • Living in the Borderland – Open Conversations – activities at Royal Museums Greenwich and Stratford Library as part of Refugee Week 2023.
  • Exhibitions at Forest Gate Library and Stratford Library highlighting LGBTQ+ refugee narratives.


2022

  • The Meaning of Home Among LGBTQ+ Refugees – creative workshops and exhibition.
  • Activities at Royal Museums Greenwich as part of Refugee Week 2022.


Upcoming events and exhibitions

  • 2026 – Exhibition at Stratford Library, venue confirmation pending.
  • 2026 – Exhibition and drop-in session at Forest Gate Library, venue confirmation pending.