by Ruby Jones, Regional Connections Committee Representative, West Tennessee

HomeGrown Arts, a locally based 501(c)3, hosted the inaugural Memphis Youth Poet Laureate ceremony on June 30, 2023, at the Cossitt Public Library. HomeGrown Arts is committed to creating art and expanding community through creative writing, performance art, and youth development initiatives.

About the Youth Poet Laureate Program

The Memphis Youth Poet Laureate Program identifies and celebrates teen poets who exhibit a commitment to artistic excellence, civic engagement, youth leadership and social justice.

Meet Memphis’ Youth Poet Laureate

This year’s winner, Anna Hunter, will be a freshman at The University of Southern California in September. Emily Pickering, the runner-up in a field of four final applicants, is a senior at Interlochen Arts Academy.