Long Beach to reveal its 1st youth poet laureate
The city will also unveil 4 poet ambassadors at event on Thursday
Long Beach is set to announce its inaugural youth poet laureate — and four youth poet ambassadors — during a ceremony later this week.
The Long Beach Public Library launched the youth poet laureate program in partnership with the city's Arts Council and Urban Word NYC, a group that provides literary mentoring for young people. Applications opened in January. Qualified teens, age 13 to 18, were asked to submit a curriculum vitae and five poems.
The Long Beach Public Library system hosted a series of workshops to guide prospective laureates through the process of compiling their applications, which were led by Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate Jessica Kim.
Ten finalists were selected by a panel of local working poets in March, according to a Friday announcement from the city.
The ceremony to announce the youth poet laureate is set for Thursday.
“I proposed the creation of this great program during my time as a councilmember to embrace and nurture the artistic talents of our youth,” Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said in the announcement. “Through this program, we provide a platform and support to inspire and ignite positive social interactions through the transformative power of art.”
Urban Word NYC administers the nationwide Youth Poet Laureate program, which has expanded to 70
“Through this program, we provide a platform and support to inspire and ignite positive social interactions through the transformative power of art.” — Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson
cities since its creation in 2008. Youth poet laureates within the group's network have the opportunity to enter the National Youth Poet Laureate competition.
Among the most notable alumni from Urban Word's competition is 2017 winner Amanda Gorman, who is known for reading her poetry at President Joe Biden's 2021 inauguration.
Other program participants from across the country have gone on to compete in national poetry competitions and launch independently owned publishing presses.
Five Long Beach students in total, meanwhile, will be recognized for their achievements in poetry and given resources to support their creative journeys.
One will receive the youth poet laureate title and a $1,500 scholarship to create a citywide initiative meant to engage young
people in literary arts over the course of a program that ends in April. The poet laureate will also receive mentorship and resources to help bring their project to life.
The four runners-up, meanwhile, will be dubbed poet ambassadors and will each receive a $500 scholarship to pursue their work in poetry.
The 10 finalists are:
• Claire Beeli, 16.
• Stephanie Bou-Assi, 14.
• Helena Donato-Sapp, 13.
• Remynyse Gilliam, 16.
• Matilda Iem, 18.
• Kieran Lundy, 13.
• Janeymi Ramirez, 16.
• Ajala Sen, 14.
• Ariel Trent.
• Sofia Uribe, 15.
Each finalist will perform a live poetry reading during the Thursday ceremony, which is slated to start at 6 p.m. at Green Pines Creative, 129 W. Fifth St. The winners will be announced afterward.