It’s time to celebrate the Youth Poet Laureate 2025–2026 cohort at City of Asylum’s annual commencement reading! Welcome Youth Poet Laureate Ivanna Smith and Youth Poet Ambassadors Vanshika Jain, Monroe Law, Ashley Shim, and Lillia Strickland as they share new social justice–themed works.

Our On Topic series kicks off in 2026 with a moderated discussion among free speech experts, who will get into the weeds of current controversies and the role free expression plays in maintaining a democratic government.

In the first World Literature program of the year, Anderson Tepper will be in conversation with Cameroonian author Patrice Nganang to discuss his new memoir, “Scale Boy: An African Childhood.”