A title awarded over a live stream
The announcement was made on 16 May 2020 through a Facebook live event, with Dasgupta at home rather than on a stage. The selection panel included Juan Felipe Herrera, a former Poet Laureate of the United States.
The field she was chosen from was national in the literal sense: youth poet laureates representing 40 states and more than 50 cities. She became the fourth National Youth Poet Laureate since the programme began naming one.
The work and the stated purpose
Her poetry sits at the intersection of writing and activism, concentrating on under-represented communities and intersectional feminist voices. The programme's profile lists her as an activist as well as a poet, and the two roles are not kept separate in her account of the job.
Her stated plan for the laureateship was to use it as an amplifier rather than a platform — to “pass the mic”, in her phrase, and to “redefine what it means to be an American”. Both quotations come from the programme's own record of her selection.
Where the work has appeared
Before and during the laureateship, her writing was featured by outlets and institutions including the New York Times, PBS, Apple, Grist, the Apollo and Bryant Park. She has been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall, the Teen Vogue Summit and TEDxCUNY.
The awards attached to her name run in the same direction: a Van Lier Fellowship, a Federal Hall Fellowship, a win in Climate Speaks — a competition for young poets writing on the climate crisis — and a Scholastic Art and Writing award.
What a youth laureateship is for
The programme names city laureates, regional ambassadors and one national laureate each year, and asks each of them to carry a civic project through the term. Dasgupta was also the 2020 Regional Youth Poet Laureate Ambassador for the north-eastern United States.
It is a system designed to place young writers in front of adult audiences with institutional backing rather than leaving them to find a stage. The venues listed above — a concert hall, a national broadcaster, a public park — are the practical result of that design.
The 2020 term tested that design. A laureate named in May of that year inherited a calendar with no live audiences in it, and the reach recorded in the programme's profile was assembled largely through broadcast and online platforms rather than the stages the role was built around.
What is documented — and what is not
Firm: the date and virtual format of her selection, her position as the fourth national laureate, her New York City laureateship from the autumn of 2019, the composition of the selection field, the fellowships and awards, the performance venues and her two quoted statements.
Open: her age, date of birth, school and university are not stated in the source used here, nor are the titles of individual poems or any published collection. No account of her work after the laureate year appears in this record, and none is invented for this page.
Watch: Meera Dasgupta on camera
| 인물 | 국가 | 이정표 | 나이 / 기록 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evan Wang | 미국 | 2025년 전미 청년 계관 시인; 첫 남성 수상자 | 17세 |
| Alyssa Gaines | 미국 | 제6대 미국 전미 청년 계관 시인 (2022년) | 18세 |
| Meera Dasgupta | 미국 | 제4대 전미 청년 계관 시인이 실시간 스트리밍을 통해 선정됨, 장소는 | — |
| Stephanie Pacheco | 미국 | 2024년 미국 전미 청년 계관 시인 | — |
| Salome Agbaroji | 미국 | 로스앤젤레스 고등학교 무대에서 골든글로브, 하프타임 쇼까지 | — |
What is documented — and what is not
✓ Documented
- Named 2020 National Youth Poet Laureate on 16 May 2020 in a virtual ceremony from her home
- Fourth poet to hold the national title; NYC Youth Poet Laureate from autumn 2019
- Selection panel included former US Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera
- Van Lier Fellow, Federal Hall Fellow, Climate Speaks and Scholastic winner
? Unverified, disputed or wrong
- No age, date of birth, school or university in this source
- No individual poem titles or published collection documented
- No record here of her work after the laureate year
Questions people ask about Meera Dasgupta
Who is Meera Dasgupta?
A poet named the 2020 National Youth Poet Laureate, the fourth to hold the title, after serving as New York City Youth Poet Laureate from the autumn of 2019.
How was she selected?
On 16 May 2020, in a virtual Facebook live event held from her home, by a panel that included the former US Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera.
What did she say she would do with the title?
“I will use this title to redefine what it means to be an American,” she said, and described her plan as passing the mic to amplify other voices.
What is her poetry about?
Uplifting under-represented communities and intersectional feminist voices, at the intersection of poetry and activism.
Where has she performed?
Invitations listed include Carnegie Hall, the Teen Vogue Summit and TEDxCUNY; her work has been featured by the New York Times, PBS, Apple, Grist, the Apollo and Bryant Park.
How old is Meera Dasgupta?
The source used here does not state her age or date of birth.
What is Climate Speaks?
A competition for young poets writing about the climate crisis, which she won; it is listed among her awards.
Is Meera Dasgupta on Wikipedia?
No article was found for her. The programme's official laureate profile is the strongest available source.
Quick quiz: how well do you know Dasgupta’s story?
When was Meera Dasgupta named National Youth Poet Laureate?
Why was the ceremony virtual?
Which former US Poet Laureate sat on the panel?
Sources
- Meera Dasgupta — National Youth Poet Laureate (Urban Word), 2020
Checked by the Geniuses.club editorial team. Ages are given as of September 2026.
