Poet Laureate

Yalie Saweda Kamara, Ph.D is the 2022 - 2024 Cincinnati and Mercantile Library Poet Laureate. The Poet Laureate program began in 2016, with Pauletta Hansel as the inaugural poet. Manuel Iris succeeded Hansel in 2018.

The Poet Laureate promotes poetry throughout the city, reads poems at events, and leads programming for all ages and backgrounds. Kamara holds regular office hours at the Mercantile for anyone to join. Check the calendar for dates & times. For more information, message Yalie.

Contact Yalie

The Poet Laureate program is partially underwritten by The George & Margaret McLane Foundation, The Mercantile Library, the City of Cincinnati, & Anonymous.