Join the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Literature Department in celebrating the 30th Anniversary season of Monday Poets. This year’s theme is Sankofa (SAHN-koh-fah), a Twi word from the Akan Tribe of Ghana which loosely implies that to move forward, one must “go back and get it”. In that spirit we will be celebrating at each event a past Monday Poet and introduce a new one. Each month from September 2024 to April 2025 a new Sankofa pair will read at a new library. Monday Poets exists to inspire and connect poets and community members across the city of Philadelphia. This program, hosted by Joseph E. Coleman Northwest Regional Library, is free and open to the public.

Previous Monday Poet: Trapeta B. Mayson

Trapeta B. Mayson’s work in poetry and community engagement has significantly shaped Philadelphia's cultural landscape. As the city's Poet Laureate for 2020-2021, Mayson not only shared her words but also created spaces for healing and expression through projects like Healing Verse and the Healing Verse Philly Phone Line which she founded in 2020. A respected fellow with institutions including the Pew, the Academy of American Poets, and Aspen Word, Mayson has been recognized for her commitment to poetry and social impact.

New Monday Poet: 王潇/Evan Wang

王潇/Evan Wang was the first Youth Poet Laureate of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and the editor-in-chief of Hominum Journal. His work has appeared in The Kenyon Review, The Journal, RHINO, The Harvard Advocate, and elsewhere, and has been featured at and recognized by the White House, Button Poetry, NPR, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Philadelphia Contemporary, and Wawa Welcome America. He is the recipient of a 2024 National YoungArts Award and the 2024 Fugue Poetry Prize, selected by Divya Victor.