Oh Hey, This Oakland Youth Poet Laureate is Now a Published and Acclaimed Author

The Oakland Youth Poet Laureate program, opens a new window is an unprecedented citywide effort to celebrate literacy through poetry and connect young writers to far-reaching opportunities. Oakland Youth Poet Laureate, Leila Mottley (Oakland Youth Poet Laureate 2018, Oakland Youth Poet Laureate Runner-Up 2017), wowed us with her performances. Now she's catapulted into the book world with her first novel, Nightcrawling, opens a new window.

But we're not the only ones impressed with Leila publishing a full-length novel from a major publisher. Nightcrawling has been met with wide acclaim, including Oprah's Book Club and the Booker Prize Longlist, opens a new window, as the youngest author to receive this distinction.

You can check-out Nightcrawling from OPL. (Side note from the librarian writing this blog post: It's incredibly good.)

Nightcrawling

While you're in the holds queue, you can get some more inspiration from Leila and our other amazing Oakland Youth Poet Laureates:

Leila Mottley - Oakland Youth Poet Laureate Runner Up 2017 Performance, opens a new window[VIDEO]

Leila Mottley - Oakland Youth Poet Laureate 2018 Performance, opens a new window [VIDEO]

Meet the Teen Poet Whose Love Letter is a Call to Action, opens a new window [VIDEO]

Leila Mottley on KQED Forum, 2019, opens a new window

Growing Up Oakland project

Check out the accomplishments, opens a new window and performances, opens a new window of our Oakland Youth Poet Laureates.

You can see Leila Mottley in Oakland, Thursday, September 8 at The Collective and appearing on City Arts & Lectures KQED Broadcast, opens a new window, Sunday, October 16.