Old inkstand with feather near scroll and books

Los Angeles Poet Laureate

 Brian Sonia-Wallace holding a typewriter

Brian Sonia-Wallace is the Los Angeles Poet Laureate

"My guiding vision is simple: a Poetry City, where every neighborhood has access to poetry as connective tissue" — Brian Sonia-Wallace

Mayor Karen Bass announced Brian Sonia-Wallace as Los Angeles’ Poet Laureate. A nationally-recognized poet, Sonia-Wallace is known for composing spontaneous poems on his 1938 Remington typewriter, transforming everyday spaces into sites of creativity and connection.



About the Program

The City of Los Angeles Poet Laureate program is a collaboration between the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) and the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA). Just as the National Poet Laureate works from within the Library of Congress, the City of Los Angeles Poet Laureate will work from within the Los Angeles Public Library. Since 2012, the Los Angeles Poet Laureate has both represented the City and engaged the community using poetry and literature, including esteemed previous Poets Laureate Eloise Klein Healy, Luis Rodriguez, Robin Coste Lewis, and Lynne Thompson.