Dublin Student Named Alameda County Youth Poet Laureate

DUBLIN, CA — A Dublin teenager was named the 2023 Alameda County Youth Poet Laureate, while another Dublin teen was named a finalist.

Brian Guan of Dublin won top prize for the countywide competition, beating out 51 other applications from students aged 13-18. Anika Yu of Dublin was one of four finalists.

A panel of Bay Area poets rated submissions based on their content, craft and voice, according to a new release from the Alameda County Library.

From now until Aug. 24, Guan and 2023 Youth Poet Vice-Laureate Sunwoo Eom will “serve as ambassadors to inspire civic engagement, social justice, cultural awareness, and literary excellence among young people in Alameda County,” according to Alameda County Library. He and other finalists will be invited to perform at public events, and are eligible to compete in regional and state poet laureate competitions.

Guan is the poet and editor-in-chief of The Dungeness Press, a Bay Area teen literary magazine.

“Poetry is a medium of humanity. It is emotion distilled into words and line breaks. It just has to be honest. Poetry is empathetic. Poetry is the spark before change. In this way, we become the catalyst,” he said in a statement.

As winner, Guan’s poetry will be featured in the National Poetry Anthology alongside laureates from across the country. He will also receive a Macbook and a suite of Apple products.

Aniya Yu, a 17-year-old poet from Dublin, was also named as a finalist. Yu said in a statement that she wants to use her poetry “as a vehicle for spreading awareness on social issues, bridging gaps between communities, and furthering interest in the arts.” She serves as a student trustee at the DUSD Board, and hosts ESL workshops for children at Dublin Library.

Other finalists include:

• Rose America Garcia of San Leandro
• Vyahruti Gudoor of Fremont
• Lia Le-Nguyen of Fremont

For more information, visit aclibrary.org/youth-poet/.