Austin Youth Poet Laureate
The Austin Youth Poet Laureate is a joint program of the Library Foundation and the National Youth Poet Laureate Program led by Urban Word, with additional support from the Austin Public Library. Students aged 13-18 who reside in Austin or the surrounding area are eligible to apply.
How does the Austin Youth Poet Laureate serve the community?
- You serve as a representative for youth voice and poetry in Austin.
- You are celebrated at a public event in the fall and get to participate in readings and performances across the city.
- Your work is published in the National Youth Poet Laureate anthology.
- You are eligible to compete in the regional and national Youth Poet Laureate competitions and all national Youth Poet Laureate programming countrywide.
- You have the opportunity to publish a chapbook through local press host publications.
CLICK HERE TO APPLY
The application deadline is September 15th.
Applications consist of a resume/CV (template provided), a portfolio of five original poems, and an optional video submission.
Click here and download the RESUME/CV template
To help you apply, the Library Foundation is sponsoring a free online workshops on a Saturday, August 8th from 10am-12pm on Zoom.
8/8 – https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/TdTVWDPdRO2vXvNsrjmw5Q
Saaya Accapadi
2025 Austin Youth Poet Laureate
Saaya Accapadi is a senior at L.C. Anderson High School.
At Anderson, Saaya is president of the Anderson Book Club, violinist and social media manager for the orchestra, president and researcher for the International Music Club, and president of the Model UN. Outside of school, she studies Indian classical dance and ballet, and volunteers for the Austin Public Library.
2025 Finalists: Josie Bednar, Sterling Bradley, Audrey Han, Michelle Li, Beatrix Lozach
2026 Austin Youth Poet Laureate & Cohort
Saaya Accapadi on being Austin Youth Poet Laureate
What inspires you?
Saaya is inspired by a motto printed on a sign she would often see after violin lessons: “Life is for Service’”
“It’s at the root of everything I do, from mentorship in the arts, volunteering at my local library, and even bringing smiles to the faces of others as I read aloud a poem that reflects the shared humanity of our mundane moments… In this time when the world is deeply fragmented and divided, recognizing and connecting with each other’s shared humanity is absolutely necessary.”
Closing your eyes at last, you can taste the sun.
Sweet and tangy like a mango past ripe,
The flavor of an adventure yet to come,
and good times that await you.
From the poem “Salik- the wayward traveler (for the monkey-god Hanuman)”
2025 Austin Youth Poet Laureate cohort
Beatrix Lozach, Josie Bednar, Sterling Bradley, Audrey Han, Saaya Accapadi, Michelle Li
Austin Youth Poet Laureates
Ella Kim
2024 Austin Youth Poet Laureate
Brandee Benson
2023 Austin Youth Poet Laureate
Finalists: Cemi Edrich, Caitlin Garrett, Astrid Gothard, Mina Talebi, LiLi Xiong
Zachary Suri
2022 Austin Youth Poet Laureate
Finalists: Josie Bednar, Astrid Gothard, Margot Gothard, Isabelle Morgan, Mina Talebi
Ireland Griffin
2021 Austin Youth Poet Laureate
Finalists: Caroline Boyle, Elijah Kleinman, Keana Saberi, Zachary Suri, Ren Koppel Torres
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