Young Laureates Showcase

New York City's current and former Youth Poet Laureates Crystal Valentine and Nksoi Nkululeko will join Miles Hodges for a special poetry reading at NYPL's new 53rd Street Library. 

Never before has a youth delegate been honored to represent their hometown or state. In 2009, Urban Word launched the nation’s first program of its kind — the New York City Youth Poet Laureate program. Created in partnership with the New York City Mayor’s Office and the Voter Assistance Commission, this citywide non-partisan community outreach series for youth ages 14-19 engages and celebrates the powerful voices of youth while promoting civic engagement, volunteerism, youth leadership, voter awareness and artistic excellence. The program pairs educational, artistic and performance development with free resume building and creative writing workshops, as well as the opportunity to compete in the New York City Poet Laureate Slam. Awarded on the strength of their artistic merit, community engagement, and leadership, the selected New York City Youth Poet Laureate serves for one year participating in a citywide tour that includes performing, opening for National Poetry Slams,  and publishing a book of poems. 

The Library is thrilled to host this showcase leading up to the Youth Poet Laureate finals in December. 

Born and raised in the Bronx, Crystal Valentine has been writing poetry since she was in the fourth grade. She is a senior at NYU studying Creative Writing and Adolescent Mental Health Studies. She is the current three-time Grand Slam Champion of NYU’s poetry slam team and has won first place at the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitation (CUPSI) in 2013 and 2015. She was a member of the 2014 Urban Word slam team, a finalist at the Individual World Poetry Slam festival in Washington D.C and is also the 2015 NYC Youth Poet Laureate. She has performed at renowned locations such as the Lincoln Center, New Amsterdam Theatre, the Apollo Theater, and the Nuyorican’s Poet’s Café. She has also made appearances on the Melissa Harris-Perry show as well as the Brian Lehrer Radio talk show. Even more so than in her own poetic talent, Crystal believes in poetry’s ability to instill change in those who embrace it. As a black female poet, she believes that it is her duty to continue to share the unjust and undocumented experiences of people of color inside and outside of her community. A carrier of #blkgirlmagic and a proud author, Crystal describes herself as a lover of food, anime, people and above all, Chance the Rapper.

Nkosi Nkululeko, poet and musician, hailing from Harlem, NY, has performed his written works in venues such as Apollo Theater, Nuyorican Poets Café, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Oxford University and others. He has performed for National Writers Union, Lincoln Center and Urban Word NYC. He was on the 2014 Urban Word NYC Slam Team for Brave New Voices and the 2015 Urbana-NYC Slam Team for National Poetry Slam. Nkosi is a 2015 nominee for the American Voices Award, a Callaloo Fellow and has been published in Junior Scholars’ Schomburg Review and forthcoming in No Token, The New Sound and is anthologized in great weather for MEDIA’s “Before Passing,” their 2015 Anthology.  He is currently the 2016 Youth Poet Laureate for the City of New York. 

Program is free, but advance registration is recommended. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance.