New Haven Youth Poet Laureate Program
About the Program
In partnership with Urban Word and the National Youth Poet Laureate (NYPL) program, we are proud to announce the inaugural year of the New Haven Youth Poet Laureate! The Youth Poet Laureate program aims to identify young writers and leaders who are committed to civic and community engagement, diversity and inclusion, and youth voices across New Haven, Connecticut, and beyond.
The Youth Poet Laureate program was piloted in 2008 and gained national recognition when the nation’s first National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman, performed her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” at the 2021 presidential inauguration.
Meet the 2024 Winners
2024 New Haven Youth Poet Laureate: Anna Capelle
Anna Capelle is a lifelong resident of New Haven County and lives with her parents and two siblings. She graduated from Hopkins School and will be attending the University of Vermont this fall, majoring in Community-Centered Design and English (with a Creative Writing focus). Anna discovered her love for poetry in 3rd grade and has written countless poems. She has performed at the Resnick Aspen Action Forum on two occasions, several Hopkins events, community readings, and competed in poetry slam competitions. She is a member of The Word's 2024 CT Youth Slam Team, which competed at Brave New Voices in Washington, D.C. Anna is furthering her passion for the written word by working on an original poetry book. In addition to writing and performing, Anna loves the outdoors, traveling, all forms of art, spending time with family and friends, thrifting, listening to music, and meeting new people.
2024 New Haven Youth Poet Laureate Runner-Up: Asher Joseph
Asher Joseph needs to write, right now. Whether he is churning out articles for the New Haven Independent or revising Kat's sonnet from 10 Things I Hate About You to fit Shakespearean form, his passion for words (and wordplay) runs deep. He is honored to serve as New Haven's first ever Youth Poet Laureate Runner-Up and looks forward to sowing litera-seeds in the city that has taught him to appreciate the beauty in everything. Asher is a rising high school senior at the Hopkins School, where he is editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Razor, and performs with the Hopkins Drama Association. He lives with his parents, younger brother, and schnauzer-terrier mix. He is a staunch defender of the Oxford comma and a New Haven cafe connoisseur.
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Information about the 2025 New Haven competition will be announced shortly.
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Learn More
Please direct questions to: yaleliteditors@gmail.com.
To learn more about the national program, visit the NYPL website.