Youth Poet Laureate

Shahaddah Jack, a 20-year-old bilingual spoken word poet and activist was appointed by City Council as Toronto’s inaugural Youth Poet Laureate on October 9.

The Youth Poet Laureate serves as a literary ambassador for young people across Toronto, working to elevate the status of poetry, language and young writers by inspiring and engaging youth to share their stories through written and spoken word. The Youth Poet Laureate Program was initiated at the recommendation of the Toronto Youth Cabinet to recognize and celebrate its 25th Anniversary.

Shahaddah is a journalism student at Toronto Metropolitan University; she uses her poetic lens to explore human rights, the Black experience, and the challenges of adolescence. Shahaddah has performed on over 100 stages, including events such as the Toronto International Festival of Authors and Nuit Blanche, and she recently released her debut novel and single. She has been recommended for appointment following a competitive process adjudicated by the City’s current Poet Laureate, Lillian Allen, and representatives from the Toronto Youth Cabinet.

The honourary Youth Poet Laureate position will serve to recognize a young poet (16 to 27 years old), who writes excellent poetry or spoken word and has written on themes that are relevant to residents in the City of Toronto.

The role of the Youth Poet Laureate is to serve as a literary ambassador for youth in the City of Toronto. The poet will act as an advocate and elevate the status of poetry, language, arts and young writers by inspiring and engaging youth to share their stories through written and spoken word.

The Youth Poet Laureate will enjoy a collaborative relationship with the Toronto Youth Cabinet, the City of Toronto’s official youth advocacy body, as well as be invited to attend municipal events to share works and increase engagement of youth with the arts.

Duties

  • Serve as an advocate and ambassador for youth, poetry, literary arts and elevate the voices of young writers
  • Create artistic work that reflects the values and identity of Toronto’s young people
  • Perform poetry readings during at least one City Council meeting, at least one Toronto Youth Cabinet event and at least one official City of Toronto function
  • Attend a variety of civic events across the City to promote and attract young people to the literary world
  • Collaborate with Toronto Public Library to support and enhance their youth literary arts programs
  • Participate in the literary life of the City to raise the visibility of youth, literacy, poetry and spoken word
  • Be willing to be mentored by the Poet Laureate during their shared terms.

Term

The Youth Poet Laureate will serve a term of two years for which they will receive an honorarium of $5,000 per year.

“I strongly believe that in this new role, it is imperative to collaborate with other artists, activists, and organizations who share my commitment to youth empowerment and social justice. Working together as opposed to working in silos will enrich the impact of collective youth advocacy within our city. I will continue to use my poetry as a form of “Artivism”, recognizing and addressing the intersecting forms of oppression that impact youth in Toronto, especially young Black women, including racism, sexism, and economic inequality. I will continue to use the power of spoken word to advocate for policies and initiatives that promote equity and inclusion in all aspects of society. I will aim to engage with local communities, schools, and organizations such as Prologue Arts, TPL Poetry Saved Our Lives, and TDSB Creates to promote literary arts as tools for self-expression and empowerment.”