The City of Madison, the Madison Arts Commission, and Madison Poet Laureate Angela Trudell Vasquez publically announced and welcomed Maliha Nu’Man as the second Madison Youth Poet Laureate in a ceremony earlier this month at the Pinney Branch Library on Madison’s east side.
The ceremony also celebrated the accomplishments of Madeleine Bohn, who served as Madison’s first Youth Poet Laureate. Maliha Nu’Man, who will enter her sophomore year at West High School this fall, has always had a love for writing and, more specifically, poetry growing up.
“I look forward to Maliha using the art form of poetry to give voice to the hopes and dreams of young people in our community,” said Nick Pjevach, chair of the Madison Arts Commission, in a statement. “I want to again recognize and thank Angela Trudell Vasquez for her passion in making this program a reality.”
At aged 14, Maliha self-published her first book, Photograph, which can be found on Amazon and she worked with Madison’s Youth Poet Laureate Cohort, guided by Trudell Vasquez from 2022-23, which helped her grow her poetry skills, according to a press release from the City of Madison. When she isn’t writing, Maliha is part of multiple clubs at her high school, including Sifting and Winnowing, a civic engagement club, and student council. Maliha has shared her poetry with the Madison Public Library through UW-Madison and her school. Maliha hopes to expand her writing and work with people who may help her reach her goal and contribute to her love for something so beautiful.
“I am excited to expand on the opportunities this position provides me,” Maliha says.
The Madison Youth Poet Laureate program is a partnership between the City of Madison and the National Youth Poet Laureate program, an initiative of Urban Word. The National Youth Poet Laureate program honors talented poets between the ages 13-19 and provides competitive opportunities for young people to showcase their literary art on the regional and national stage.
Trudell Vasquez established the Youth Poet Laureate program in Madison in 2022, and has been leading a cohort of the applicants over the year, helping them to edit and develop their poems, and find companionship in the art.
“I have spent the last year mentoring the YPL cohort … watching them encourage each other during our free write sessions, sharing craft and editing tips with them, and seeing their writing, editing and performance skills grow has been a wonderful experience,” Trudell Vasquez says in a press release. “I am so happy for the young poets in this city to have this opportunity, and am so thankful to all who made it happen.”
Over the course of her year of service as the Madison Youth Poet Laureate, Maliha will give three public readings alongside Trudell Vasquez, including a reading before the Madison Common Council at their Sept. 5 meeting. Additionally, she will have the opportunity to apply for the National Youth Poet Laureate role in the fall.
