2026 Youth Poet Laureate Hails from Lafayette

Five students vied for the title of 2026 Lexington Youth Poet Laureate at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning, and Lafayette High senior Tony Robinson emerged as the winner. “Poetry to me means a mode of expression in the short, accessible, and figurative that can express the complex,” Tony said. 

Sampling of Tony’s Writing

Runner-up Mady Dinh and finalists Rylie Humphress, Gauri Joshi, and Ash Sauer will also continue to serve as ambassadors to the city’s historic and vibrant cultures of poetry and literature – promoting local writers and the transformative qualities of poetry and the written word. All are Lafayette students except for Gauri, who attends Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. 

The National Youth Poet Laureate program identifies, celebrates, and honors teen poets who exhibit a commitment to artistic excellence along with civic engagement and youth leadership. It collaborates with local youth literary arts organizations and leading national literary organizations.