Meet Charleston’s Newly Appointed Poet Laureate

Meet Asiah Mae, Charleston’s New Poet Laureate

We at the Charleston Literary Festival first met Asiah Mae (she/they) at a Festival event back in October. After the announcement of their appointment as Charleston’s second Poet Laureate in December, we caught up to learn more about Mae and what they’ll bring to the Charleston literary scene.

“I’ve been writing since the day I learned how to spell my name,” Asiah said. “It was like, oh! Words! I can do something with this. I was really shy as a kid, so journaling and writing poetry helped me to say the things I wanted to say.”

A middle school teacher was “the first person who told me I could actually write,” Asiah said. They grew into community organizing, film school, and began performing spoken word. Marcus Amaker (Charleston’s first Poet Laureate and CLF 2022 speaker) encouraged them to apply for the role, but Asiah had doubts. “I’m a person who is in the community all the time,” they said. “But I try not to deal with the institutions. I’m wild, I’m feral. To be this person scared me. But Marcus told me, ‘Be you. Bring you to it.’”

Receiving the honor felt surreal and triggered an attack of Imposters’ Syndrome, but now it’s up to Asiah to determine what being a Poet Laureate will mean to them. They’ll work to bring poetry slams to area high schools and to launch a poetry and film festival dedicated to poetic short films. “And, more than anything,” they said, “I can continue to push for artists to be able to live in this city and thrive.”

Congratulations Asiah Mae!