National Book Award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson has been named the Young People’s Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation.
The award is given every two years to a poet who is recognized for writing “exceptional poetry for young readers.” The honor includes a $25,000 prize. The laureate’s role is to advise the Poetry Foundation on matters relating to young people’s literature. In addition, Woodson is responsible for promoting poetry to children, families, teachers, and librarians.
“Jacqueline Woodson is an elegant, daring, and restlessly innovative writer,” explained Robert Polito, president of the Poetry Foundation in a statement.”So many writers settle on a style and a repertoire of gestures and subjects, but Woodson, like her characters, is always in motion and always discovering something fresh. As she once told an interviewer, ‘If you have no road map, you have to create your own.’ Her gifts, adventurousness and generosity, suggest she will be a terrific young people’s poet laureate.”
Woodson shared writing tips with GalleyCat the 2014 National Book Awards. Follow this link to check out her advice on writing.