Black Youth of Berkeley Writing Circle @THP South
About
A workshop for teens to explore and learn literary techniques. A peer led writing group that teaches teens how to use different literary devices and to learn and explore expression through writing together. Berkeley Youth Poet Laureate Nolawit Ketema Writing, especially poetry, is how I make sense of emotions and experiences I don’t yet know how to say out loud. It allows me to slow down, to sit with what I’m feeling, even when those feelings are uncomfortable or unresolved. Through writing, I give myself permission to notice, to feel, and to understand. Most of my work is rooted in genuine emotions and lived experiences. When I write poetry, I also write for the little girl in me who loved reading and dreamed of becoming a writer. For a long time, that dream felt unrealistic, something better hidden away. When people asked what I wanted to be, I learned to give safer answers. Now, every poem is a way of honoring that younger version of myself, the one who felt the need to conceal a true part of who she was. I write for children who are told, directly or indirectly, that their dreams are impractical or not enough. I write for the people who have walked with me through both joy and hardship, shaping the person I am today. I know that many people, especially young children, don’t always feel drawn to reading or writing so my hope is to create work that feels honest and approachable. Poetry shouldn’t demand perfection or expertise, only openness. If even one piece makes someone feel seen, understood, or less alone, then the words have done what they were meant to do.
