About Katya Keyzerova

Hi!

I’m Katya, a second-year English and French student at the University of Leeds and part of the 2025/26 Laidlaw Scholar cohort.

This summer, I’ll be researching poetry in Leeds through the pre-defined project Distinctiveness in the Poetry Activity of the Leeds City Region.

I’m originally from Russia but moved to Slovenia for political reasons when I was 15, so I’ve had a fair share of adapting to new places. Moving countries meant leaving behind everything I knew, including eight years of acrobatic gymnastics, but it also helped me become more open to change. Now based in Leeds and gearing up for a year abroad in Montreal, I see each new chapter as a chance to grow, connect, and tell meaningful stories.

Outside of uni, you’ll probably find me at the gym (a post-acrobatics obsession), with my nose in a book, or planning my next trip—I’ve been to 34 countries so far and don’t plan on slowing down!