Altadena Poets Laureate Festival to Celebrate 20 Years and Name New Laureates (Photo – Graphics Dept.)
The Altadena Poets Laureate will welcome the public to a community-centered book festival on Saturday, April 25, celebrating two decades of poetry, creativity, and connection. The event will take place from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the Bob Lucas Memorial Library & Literacy Center.
By Melanie Hooks
The festival serves as the closing event of the “After the Fire” series, hosted by current Poets Laureate Sehba Sarwar and Lester Graves Lennon. The program will feature poetry readings, book displays, and appearances by local writers and independent presses.
Among the highlights, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen is scheduled to read from his children’s book Simone, which explores themes of climate disaster through stories of a wildfire in California and floods in Vietnam.
Additional readings will be presented by poets featured in Altadena Poetry Review 2026, including Jessica Abughattas, Teresa Mei Chuc, Olga Garcia Echeverría, Elline Lipkin, Felita Kealing, Thelma Reyna, Carla Sameth, Jinghuan Liu Tervalon, and emerging poet Adhalia Rivera. An open mic segment will also invite participation from other contributors to the publication.
Former Poet Laureate Hazel Clayton Harrison will deliver remarks of celebration, while Sarwar and Lennon will offer farewell readings marking the conclusion of their tenure.
Independent publishers Tia Chuchas Press and Riot of Roses will be represented at the event, alongside poets William Archila and Brenda Vaca.
The Altadena Library and Armory Center for the Arts will host art activities for attendees of all ages.
The evening will culminate in the announcement of the 2026–2028 Altadena Poets Laureate, marking a transition as new voices take up the role of fostering literary engagement and community expression for the coming years.
Altadena Poets Laureate Poetry & Cookies 20th Anniversary Saturday, April 25, 2026 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm Location Bob Lucas Memorial Library & Literacy Center 2659 Lincoln Ave. Altadena, CA 91001
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