About

Official Bio: Hannah V. Sawyerr was recognized as the Youth Poet Laureate of Baltimore in 2016. Her debut novel in verse All the Fighting Parts was recognized as a William C. Morris Debut Award finalist, a Walter Dean Myers Award Honoree, a Rise Feminist Book Project Top Ten Title, and a Kirkus Best Book of the Year. Her spoken word has been featured on the BBC’s World Have Your Say program as well as the National Education Association’s “Do You Hear Us?” campaign. Her written word has been included in Essence, xoNecole, and gal-dem. She holds a BA in English from Morgan State University and an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School. Sawyerr’s sophomore novel in verse Truth Is (Abrams/Amulet) is slated for release on September 23, 2025. She lives in Los Angeles, California.

Fun Facts You Didn’t Ask For

Fun Fact: I’ve kept journals since the second grade, and I started writing poetry in the seventh. (I never stopped!)

More Fun Fact: I struggled quite a bit academically in school growing up, which is a huge part of why writing books for young people is so special to me.

Most Fun Fact: I keep a running list of independent bookstores I’ve visited throughout the country organized by state. Current number of visited independent bookstores: 64! (And I hope the list grows even longer!)