Laureate Lab at the 48th International Kolkata Book Fair

Five students from the Poetry Forum of Loreto College, Kolkata attended the event "Laureate Lab" at the U.S. Pavilion of the 48th International Kolkata Book Fair on February 6, 2025.

The event featured two exemplary Youth Poet Laureates, Kashvi Ramani (inaugural Youth Poet Laureate of Virginia and the 2022 Youth Poet Laureate of Arlington) and Stephanie Pacheco (2024-2025 National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States and previously the NYC Youth Poet Laureate), with Michael Cirelli, the founder of the National Youth Poet Laureate Program, acting as the facilitator.

The session was interspersed with poetry readings and poignant questions. Each poem illuminated a new strand of thought, and the discussions and audience questions made it enthralling and engaging.

The poems of Ms. Kashvi Ramani interweaved aspects of family, memory and home—her sources were her experiences, struggles, and anxieties-and echoed Indian sentiments. On the other hand, Ms. Stephanie Pacheco's poems gave one a tour of the Bronx and NYC, drawing heavily on the lived experience of culture, people, and food.

In the concluding interactive session, pertinent issues, ranging from the politics of poetry and the intentions behind diction and structure to confronting one's discomforts and dealing with criticism, were discussed. The poets were fully engaged with the audience and answered each question cogently.

The thought-provoking discussions and interaction with the poets made the session memorable for the attending students.