Writing student named Youth Poet Laureate

Department of Writing student Aysia Law has been named the City of Victoria’s inaugural Youth Poet Laureate—a first not only for Victoria, but also in Canada. Law, who won UVic’s 2011 Diversity Writing Contest, will be performing her work at a number of events throughout 2013 and receives a $1,500 honorarium, plus $1,000 to develop and complete a major project that engages youth through poetry. “She's such a passionate and dedicated writer with a great sense of humour and a natural instinct for language,” say Lee Henderson, one of Law’s writing professors. “She’s the perfect choice as our first public voice for the city's young poets.” Law will perform the first poem in her new position for Victoria City Council at City Hall on Jan.17.