The voices and ideas of young Chicago area and Region youth will be in the spotlight beginning March 13 during Louder Than A Bomb youth poetry festival.
Louder Than A Bomb is considered the largest youth poetry festival in the world. The event, presented by Young Chicago Authors, is scheduled to run through April 24. This year as it celebrates its 21st anniversary, LTAB will have a virtual platform once again. The 2020 event was also virtual. There s usually anywhere from 400 to 600 young people involved, said Demetrius Amparan, donor relations manager of Young Chicago Authors. We encourage young people to sign up with their school and compete as a team, said Amparan, who is a graduate of Valparaiso University. The registration period for entering the fest concluded last week.
Nilah Foster, who was named the 2020 Youth Poet Laureate of Chicago, said, it may be a little scary, but you really get comfortable really quickly especially with the community.
This year, there s especially high interest after Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, captured the nation s attention by reading her poem The Hill We Climb.
“I think the exciting thing about Amanda Gorman…it showed a lineage of women artists and writers stepping into the limelight in order to present a different kind of narrative for the country, and a different narrative to follow, said Kevin Coval, co-founder and artistic director of Young Chicago Authors, the organization behind the festival.