Amanda Gorman

Why you should listen

At age 22, Amanda Gorman is heralded as "the next great figure in American poetry." Born and raised in Los Angeles, she is a graduate of Harvard University and was at the top of her class studying sociology. Since publishing a poetry collection at age 16, her writing won her invitations to the Obama White House and to perform for Lin-Manuel Miranda, Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, Malala Yousafzai and others. In 2017, she was named the first ever National Youth Poet Laureate in the United States. She has performed 4th of July and Thanksgiving poems for CBS, and she has spoken at events and venues across the country, including the Library of Congress and Lincoln Center. She was chosen to read at the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, becoming the youngest inaugural poet in history.

Gorman has received a Genius Grant from OZY Media as well as recognition from Scholastic Inc., YoungArts, Glamour magazine College Women of the Year Awards and the Webby Awards. She currently writes for the New York Times newsletter The Edit and recently signed a two-book deal with Viking. She traveled to Slovenia with Prada as a reporter on the company's latest sustainability project and penned the manifesto for Nike's 2020 Black History Month campaign. She is the youngest board member of 826 National, the largest youth writing network in the United States.