About the Workshop
The Hays Youth Poet Laureate award and workshop program is open to teenagers from ages 13-19 in the Hays County area. We offer free public writing workshops for teens each fall in San Marcos, TX. These workshops are a generative space for young writers to sharpen their poetry skills.
These workshops are not a requirement to apply for the Hays Youth Poet Laureate prize. Any Hays County teenager is eligible to apply for the HYPL award.
About the Award
The Winner of the Hays Youth Poet Laureate Award receives a cash prize of $1000, a printing of their poetry chapbook through our imprint Plancha Press, a chapbook launch party featuring an acclaimed Texan poet, and a proclamation from the City of San Marcos, TX that announces them as the official Youth Poet Laureate of Hays County.
Our past judges have included:
Naomi Shihab Nye, 2025
Natalia Treviño, 2024
About the 2025 Hays County Youth Poet Laureate
Adelie Donovan (she/her) is a young poet from San Marcos, TX. Her motto is “Life is too short to be worried about what other people think, so go talk to that girl, compliment that person, live your life.”
