Youth Poetry Fellowship

Honoring young writers committed to civic and community engagement.

Applications are open!

Join the 2024-25 Youth Poetry Fellowship! Applications are open from March 1st-March 31st.

The Youth Poetry Fellowship serves a cohort of young writers committed to poetry, performance, civic and community engagement, education, and equity across the Puget Sound region.

Over the course of the school year, Fellows meet regularly for workshops with the Youth Poetry Fellowship mentors. Fellows also have numerous public opportunities to share their voices, leadership, and love of Seattle throughout the course of the year. One of the fellows, the Youth Poet Laureate, will publish a poetry collection that will be released in June 2024 by Poetry NW Editions.

The Seattle Youth Poet Laureate, along with the Youth Poetry Fellows, have numerous opportunities and platforms to share their powerful voices, their leadership, and love of community at local events throughout the course of the year.

The Youth Poet Laureate also publishes a poetry collection, released in the spring by Poetry NW Editions.

Over the course of the school year, Fellows meet to write together and perform at public readings.

and we, in bated breath, asked
if there is such a thing as empty, spaceless time

— “LOVELIKE,” by 2022/23 Youth Poet Laureate Sah Pham

To travel is to be a passenger whose
memory faithfully carried your legacy to shore.

— Adhya Kona, Youth Poetry Fellow 21/22

I know there is a heart
beating, beyond the blue sky.

— "Spikenard," 2021/22 Youth Poet Laureate, Zinnia Hansen

Ways to Get Involved

For Students

Applications for the 2024-25 YPF program are open from March 1st-March 31st.

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 on Zoom for mentor-led poetry workshops from 4:30-6pm on the second Wednesday of each month, beginning in October 2024 and ending in May 2025.*

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 2023-2024 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.

In-person Meetings 4-6pm:

  • Wednesday, September 11th
  • Wednesday, January 8th
  • Wednesday, May 14th

In-person Readings 7-8pm:

  • Wednesday, December 11th
  • Wednesday, March 12th

Online Meetings 4:30-6pm:

  • Wednesday, October 9th
  • Wednesday, November 13th
  • Wednesday, February 12th
  • Wednesday, April 9th

*Attendance is required for all meetings and readings. You may miss one if you are unable to make it, and SAL staff will reach out to you if you miss more than one meeting.

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.

To Apply

  • Applications for the 2024-25 Youth Poetry Fellowship are open from March 1st-March 31st, 2024. Applicants must be ages 14-19 during the 2024-25 school year.
  • Fill out this Google form to submit your application. Please upload 3 original typed poems in a PDF, and 1 video recording (3 minutes or less) of you reading an original poem in the Google form.
  • Your entire application is due by 6pm on Sunday, March 31st. Each applicant will be considered for the Fellowship, and you can opt-in to be considered for the Seattle Youth Poet Laureate role.

 

For Teachers

Applications for the 2024-25 Youth Poetry Fellowship are open March 1st-March 31st.

Know a star 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. Applications can be submitted through this Google form.

For Community Members

Interested in inviting the current Youth Poet Laureate to speak at your event? Fill out this Speaker Request Form, and email [email protected] to be connected.

To connect with current or past Youth Poet Laureates on other matters, email [email protected].

Books

LOVELIKE by Sah Pham

$15.95
The eighth collection in the Seattle Youth Poet Laureate Series.

Purchase

Youth Poetry Fellowship

Aamina Mughal

Youth Poetry Fellow

Mateo Acuña

Seattle Youth Poet Laureate

Sarah Guo

Youth Poetry Fellow

Charlotte Soliven

Youth Poetry Fellow

Landen Scott

Youth Poetry Fellow

Qes McCord

Youth Poetry Fellow

Laura Garcia

Youth Poetry Fellow

Janae Lu

Youth Poetry Fellow

Fatra Hussein

Youth Poetry Fellow

Linus Elkins

Youth Poetry Fellow

Sah Pham

2022/23 Youth Poet Laureate

Bayla Cohen-Knott

2022/23 YPL Publishing Leader

Rowan Saunders

2022/23 YPL Events Leader

Aamina Mughal

2022/23 YPL Cohort

Abby Skeel

2022/23 YPL Cohort

Adhya Kona

22/23 YPL Cohort

Diane Sun

2022/23 YPL Cohort

Caden LaMar

2022/23 YPL Cohort

Keegan York

2022/23 YPL Cohort

Kenyon Eshenbaugh

2022/23 YPL Cohort

Kiana Gladney

2022/23 YPL Cohort

Kyle Gerstel

2022/23 YPL Cohort

Natasha Last-Bernal

2022/23 YPL Cohort

Arianne True

Youth Poet Laureate Mentor

Sasha LaPointe

Youth Poet Laureate Mentor

Zinnia Hansen

2021/22 Youth Poet Laureate

Sejal Akerkar

2021/22 YPL Cohort Leadership Ambassador

Bayla Cohen-Knott

2021/22 YPL Cohort

Wilhelmina Colby-Oosterwyk

2021/22 YPL Cohort

Ricardo Gurango

2021/22 YPL Cohort

Ayana Islas

2021/22 YPL Cohort

Henry Morgan

2021/22 YPL Cohort

Avni Rao

2021/22 YPL Cohort

Margot Ratchman

2021/22 YPL Cohort

Talulla Shaughnessy

2021/22 YPL Cohort

Zora Sowinska

2021/22 YPL Cohort

Arianne True

Youth Poet Laureate Mentor

Laura Da’

WITS Writer

Bitaniya Giday

2020/21 Youth Poet Laureate

Helena Goos

2020/21 Youth Poet Cohort Leadership & Coordination Ambassador

Nathalie M.

2020/21 Youth Poet Public Outreach & Exposure Ambassador

Arianne True

Youth Poet Laureate Mentor

Laura Da’

WITS Writer

Wei-Wei Lee

2019/20 Youth Poet Laureate

Maia Pody

2019/20 Youth Poet Ambassador

Azura Mizan Tyabji

2018/19 Youth Poet Laureate

Emrys Foster

2018/19 & 2016/17 Youth Poet Ambassador

Hiroshi Sakauye

2018/19 Youth Poet Ambassador

Lily Baumgart

2017/18 Youth Poet Laureate

Namaka Auwae-Dekker

2017/18 Youth Poet Ambassador

Maven Gardner

2016/17 Youth Poet Laureate

Emrys Foster

2018/19 & 2016/17 Youth Poet Ambassador

Joseph Hairston

2016/17 Youth Poet Ambassador

Leija Farr

2015/16 Youth Poet Laureate

Aaron Counts

Co-founder of Seattle Youth Poet Laureate Program

Matt Gano

Renaissance School of Art & Reasoning