Four young writers from Aurora, Naperville, and Burr Ridge have been recognized in the 2026 Gwendolyn Brooks Youth Poetry Awards, Illinois Humanities’ annual statewide competition honoring poets in grades K-12.
The four suburban students are among 39 poets receiving awards or honorable mentions from a record 1,063 submissions representing 186 schools throughout Illinois. The Statewide poetry competition, revived by Illinois Humanities in 2017, carries forward Gwendolyn Brooks’ tradition of celebrating young writers and creating opportunities for their voices to be heard.
At the heart of the Gwendolyn Brooks Youth Poetry Awards is the belief that the perspectives of young people are essential to understanding the world. Each year, the winning poetry provides insight into the ideas, experiences, and questions shaping the lives of the next generation. This year’s poems explore themes of family, identity, heritage, belonging, and place.
The West Suburban students recognized this year include:
- Nihira Vuppala, Naperville – Fourth Grade Winner – “The Copper Secret”
- Lizzy Nicolae, Burr Ridge – Sixth Grade Honorable Mention – “Unpocketed Questions”
- Addie Mitchell, Aurora – Ninth Grade Winner – “The Locksmiths”
- Samir Salomov, Aurora – Tenth Grade Winner – “This Feeling — Again.”
The students will be celebrated Saturday, Sept. 19, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts in Chicago.
To learn more about the awards and the 2026 winners, visit www.ilhumanities.org/events/2026-poetry-ceremony.
—Strategia Consulting