Birmingham Poet Laureate Salaam Green launches scholarship initiative for poets in partnership with BPL, Create Birmingham

Birmingham Public Library

Birmingham City Poet Laureate Salaam Green and Birmingham Public Library are pleased to announce the 2024 Summer Poet Fellowship. This initiative is a partnership between Birmingham City Poet Laureate, BPL, and Create Birmingham. Selected fellows will work with two BPL venues to facilitate poetry programming in support of summer literacy and reading initiatives.

“BPL is excited to be a part of this incredible initiative as we strive to uphold our mission of providing the highest quality experience for our community for lifelong learning, cultural enrichment and enjoyment,” said Birmingham Public Library Regional Manager of Public Services Bessie Miller.

Green has named Karima Moore to serve as the inaugural Youth Poet Fellow and Maati Sanovia to serve as the inaugural Adult Poet Fellow. Both will work with the Birmingham Public Library to facilitate poetry programming this summer.

Fellows will receive a $500.00 honorarium that will be administered by Create Birmingham.

Young Poet Scholarship, Karima Moor

Young poet Karima Moor is a Birmingham native who has always loved writing, but didn’t start writing poetry until she was 18. In 2021, Karima recited her self-penned poem, “Unity,” at the 30th inauguration of Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin.

“This appointment means a lot to me. I’m excited to bring light and joy to the arts in my city,” Moor said. “It’s a great opportunity, and I don’t take it lightly.”

Moor worked with the Birmingham Public Library’s Summer STEAMER Camp. The camp, which took place at BPL’s Central Library, provided elementary school students with an interdisciplinary STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) curriculum in an effort to reverse summer learning loss.

Taught by Better Basics certified teachers at the Birmingham Public Library, children increase their skills in both reading and math. Each summer, a theme is chosen and different activities are completed to align with the topic. Students complete a variety of STEAM activities that tie into the novels they read through the reading aspect of the program.

Adult poet Maati Sanovia

Maati Sanovia will serve as the Adult Poet Fellow and is an experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT), retired registered nurse, published author of “A Journey to Forgiveness, Disowning 3 Generations of Violence,” community activist, and poet.

She is the creator of MaYoni ‘aT Womb Yoga, a sequence that emerged from her work with her daughter in the Ancient Art of Yoni Steaming through the Yoni Steam Institute. On the path of living Maat, Maati Sanovia’s journey is one of peace, offering a balanced, compassionate, reciprocal and harmonious way of being for all.