Introducing, Sophia Hall, the 2023 Youth Poet Laureate for Washington DC. She treats us to a poem then lets us in to learn about her life and inspiration.

Sophia Hall lives a double life: 17-year-old poet by day, secret agent by night. This US Presidential Scholar nominee can be found wearing a frog bucket hat and Van Gogh socks. Her writing has been recognized by the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the Library of Congress, and several other organizations. Her poem “Multiple Choice,” won grand prize in the Sixteen River Press’s Youth Poetry Contest and was subsequently nominated for the Pushcart Prize. In 2022, she won the Smith College Poetry Prize for High School Girls, selected by Leila Chatti. Sophia is also the Art and Social Justice Fellow at Strathmore Arts Center and Woolly Mammoth Theater Company. Her haiku, selected from 2900-plus submissions from 71 countries, have been displayed in prominent locations in the Washington DC Business District. She posts her writing and artwork on her instagram account @estelleuphoria, reaching an audience of over 100k users. She will be attending the University of Pennsylvania in the fall, where she was recruited for creative writing.

Learn more about our Youth Poet Laureate program below!