Check out upcoming events with our Poet Laureate!
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Join Carlo as she emcees the 25th Annual Patchwork Tales Storytelling Festival!
Youth Poet Laureate Kh'Mani Gilliam will perform.
Award-winning author, master storyteller, and City of Rock Hill Poet Laureate Carlo L'Chelle Dawson returns as the dynamic Patchwork Tales festival emcee on September 19, 2026! Youth Poet Laureate Kh'Mani Gilliam will also share a few of her poems at the festival. Learn more about Patchwork Tales Storytelling Festival here.
Join Carlo & Kh'Mani for
Poetry & Play Fun Day at Miracle Park!
A FREE, joyful Poetry & Play Fun Day designed especially for little ones ages 1–5 & their families: A We Are Rock Hill Poetry Festival Event!
This event warmly welcomes children with medical complexities & invisible disabilities. Come play, create, connect & celebrate through hands-on fun activities perfect for little learners. Receive valuable resources & community connections to support your family. Enjoy delicious treats! Bring your lawn chairs & blankets!
Experience the magic of poetry with our amazing Youth Poet Laureate Kh’Mani Gilliam & participate in a special, interactive We Are Rock Hill Poetry Festival activity led by our dynamic Rock Hill Poet Laureate Carlo L’Chelle Dawson.
Explore • Play • Create! We can’t wait to see you there! RSVP here.
Introducing Rock Hill Poetry Ambassadors!
An Initiative Created by Rock Hill Poet Laureate Carlo L'Chelle Dawson
As Rock Hill Youth Poetry Ambassadors, student leaders will represent their schools and their CITY. They will use their voice for impact through the power of poetry and help make a difference in their schools and their communities. The City of Rock Hill Poetry Ambassador Program is designed to support district and state priorities related to literacy, student engagement, and college and career readiness by providing structured opportunities for student leadership in the literary arts. Through this initiative, students will actively promote poetry and literacy within their schools and city, contributing to improved reading comprehension, vocabulary development, and critical thinking skills, while serving as Rock Hill youth leaders.
Apply to Be Rock Hill's Next Youth Poet Laureate!
Attention! Applications for Rock Hill’s Next Youth Poet Laureate are now open! If you’re a poet, spoken word artist, emcee, or writer between the ages of 13-18 and enjoy writing, performing, and serving your community, then, we want YOU! See the flyer for more details! Click here to apply. Deadline: October 2, 2026
Check out upcoming events with our Youth Poet Laureate!
Our "Poetry & Pizza" event is hosted by our Youth Poet Laureate, Kh'Mani Gilliam.
October 6, 2026
5:00pm-6:30pm
Our Poet Laureate Carlo L'Chelle Dawson featured in a special interview by PBS Charlotte.
Our Poet Laureate Carlo L'Chelle Dawson featured in a special interview by PBS Charlotte.
We are so proud of you Carlo!
We are so proud of you Carlo!
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Purpose
Purpose
The City of Rock Hill Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate use their roles to create awareness and appreciation for poetry through community outreach, civic engagement, commemoration of the city, and the promotion of literacy across the greater Rock Hill area.
“Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.”
- Robert Frost
History
History
The City of Rock Hill Poet Laureate program is an initiative launched in 2018 by Rock Hill Mayor John Gettys. The program is managed by the Poet Laureate Committee, made up of representatives from local arts, nonprofit, education, and community organizations.
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