Austin Youth Poet Laureate Program

The Library Foundation is excited to announce the 2022 Austin Youth Poet Laureate is Zachary Suri!
Zachary, 17, is a student at Liberal Arts and Science Academy High School, where he serves on the Diversity Council and Poetry Club. Outside of school, Zachary is the co-host and co-producer of the podcast, This is Democracy, where he reads original poems inspired by current events.

FINALISTS

We are also pleased to announce the five 2022 Austin Youth Poet Laureate finalists:

Josie Bednar, 13 (LASA High School)
Astrid Gothard, 15 (LASA High School)
Margot Gothard, 13 (Long-View Micro School)
Isabelle Morgan, 16 (Morgan Homeschooling)
Mina Talebi, 14 (Headwaters Middle School)

ABOUT THE AUSTIN YOUTH POET LAUREATE PROGRAM

The Austin Youth Poet Laureate program aims to identify and uplift young writers and leaders who are committed to civic & community engagement, poetry & performance, human relations, diversity, social justice and education across Austin.

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 and Host Publications.

BENEFITS

  • Serve as a representative for youth voice and poetry in Austin
  • Be celebrated with a celebration in the fall and participate in other readings and performances across the city
  • Be published in the National Youth Poet Laureate anthology
  • Be eligible to compete in the regional and national Youth Poet Laureate competitions and all national Youth Poet Laureate programming with other youth across the country
  • Have the opportunity to publish a chapbook through local press Host Publications

FAQ

Who can apply to the Austin Youth Poet Laureate Program?
Anyone age 13-18 years old living in Austin, TX. As long as your address says you live in Austin, you are eligible to apply. Right now this program is only open to students living within Austin city limits. We hope to expand to surrounding counties in the future.
How much experience do I need in order to apply?
You don’t need to have any previous experience with performance or poetry in order to apply. We encourage all interested young writers to attend our free Application Workshops next summer. These workshops will walk you through the application process step by step--from drafting and generating poems to compiling a resume. Plus you’ll get to learn from other poets while you craft your own work. These workshops are free and open to all!
What do you mean by Civic Engagement and Social Justice?
We seek applications from young people who are committed to the growth and development of their local communities. By “Civic Engagement,” we mean any regular activity, formally or informally sponsored, whereby the YPL applicant can strengthen and promote the quality of life in his or her community or school. By “Social Justice,” we mean any examples of praxis, commitment to equity and inclusiveness, activism and the fundamental right of youth to be outspoken. Examples include efforts in political activism, organizing, school participation, and volunteerism, as well as various educational and artistic initiatives. We require the submission of a CV, which is judged and scored, to add value to the mission and goals of this program.
What do you mean by Literary Excellence?
We seek applications from young people who excel in the literary arts, using poetry as a tool not only for self-expression but civic engagement as well. We define literary excellence as any literary work that employs the tools of poetic craft— music, image, metaphor and simile, traditional forms (sonnet, villanelle, ghazal, and so on)—combined with a passionate artistic vision concerned, thematically, with matters of the heart, spirit, and mind; politics; identity; family and relationships; history; love in its many iterations; other art forms; or any aspect of the human experience, often at the intersection of any of the aforementioned, in order to explore and deepen our common humanity. Literary excellence is assessed via the poetry portfolio submission, and also merited in the CV with any history of awards/accolades for writing.
Does it cost anything to apply?
No, this program is entirely free.

Previous Austin Youth Poet Laureate and Finalists

2021: Ireland Griffin. Finalists: Caroline Boyle, Elijah Kleinman, Keana Saberi, Zachary Suri, Ren Koppel Torres.

 

Questions? Contact Katherine Lamb at klamb@austinlibrary.org

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