Eighteen-year-old poet Ailin Sha has been named Boston’s next Youth Poet Laureate. Her two-year term began February 1 and will run through January 2028, according to the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture.
Sha grew up in Beijing and moved to the United States at age 11. A Fenway resident and graduate of Boston Latin School, she is now a freshman at Harvard University studying English and economics. Her honors include the 2024 Massachusetts Poetry Out Loud state championship and national recognition from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
Her work focuses on identity and belonging. As Youth Poet Laureate, she will serve as a literary ambassador, bringing poetry to schools, libraries, and public spaces in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture and local institutions. She plans to organize youth workshops at the Boston Public Library and a citywide student poetry exchange.
Sha is the fourth young poet to hold the title. The announcement was made at the Boston Youth Poet Showcase at the Central Branch of the Boston Public Library.
