Teen Intensive Poetry Writing Workshop (1 of 3)

Raina León leads the first of three teen poetry workshops at the Field Teen Center on Saturday, October 31, starting at 1:30 PM. It's the kickoff of the Free Library of Philadelphia's Fall 2026 Teen Intensive Poetry Writing Series, a three-part program for young adults and teens. The series is run in partnership with the Field Teen Center, whose programming is open to people aged 12 to 18.

León is Philadelphia's 2026-2028 Poet Laureate, a poet, writer, teacher educator, and community-rooted artist. She'll be running the session herself: she starts with a slideshow of her work, talks through her creative background, and reads some of her own poetry. From there, it turns into an interactive writing activity where the teens get to work on their own lines. It's a good way to see how a professional poet actually builds a poem before you try it yourself.

The workshop is part of a larger poetry presence at the library. The Free Library bills more than 28,000 programs for all ages each year, and its adult poetry program, Monday Poets, is currently in its 28th season. The city also has a youth voice in the mix: Germantown Friends School senior Emi Wong Shing was named the 2026-27 Philadelphia Youth Poet Laureate.

If you're between 12 and 18 and want to spend a Saturday afternoon writing, this is the place to start. The session is at the Field Teen Center at Parkway Central Library in Philadelphia, Saturday, October 31, at 1:30 PM.