Applications for the 2025-26 YPF program will be open April 1st-April 30th.
The Youth Poetry Fellowship offers:
The Youth Poetry Fellowship is a free poetry fellowship for youth (ages 14-19) led by mentors Nanya Jhingran & Jourdan I. Keith. Fellows meet once a month for poetry workshops and also perform at public readings.
Workshops will focus on generative writing and community building, with each meeting beginning with one fellow reading an original poem to the group to practice performance and to get to know each other’s work.
Participation in the fellowship also includes seasonal reading opportunities and free access to all Seattle Arts and Lectures events and the chance to read on SAL stages as opening reader for visiting writers. All in-person meetings and readings will take place in Seattle, in central locations.
One fellow will be selected to serve as the Youth Poet Laureate (YPL). The YPL will be a leader within the fellowship and will work closely with mentors to publish a chapbook of poems through Poetry NW Editions. The YPL will also receive additional public reading opportunities and will serve as a youth voice to the broader literary community. The Seattle Youth Poet Laureate is eligible to compete in the Regional Youth Poet Laureate Competition. If they are a finalist, they are eligible to compete in the National Youth Poet Laureate Competition, a program of Urban Word.
Note: All applicants to the Fellowship can opt-in to be considered for the Seattle Youth Poet Laureate position, but it is not a requirement.
Applications for the 2025-26 Youth Poetry Fellowship will be open April 1st-April 30th.
Know a poet or leader who you think would be a fantastic fit for the Youth Poetry Fellowship and/or the title of Seattle Youth Poet Laureate? Encourage them to apply.
