Elizabeth Acevedo

Elizabeth Acevedo (born February 15, 1988) is an American poet and author of Dominican descent, best known for her young adult novel in verse The Poet X (2018). Born and raised in New York City, she is the daughter of Dominican immigrants, and her heritage deeply informs both her subject matter and her poetic voice. She earned a BA in performing arts from the American University and an MFA in creative writing from the University of Maryland. Before publishing her debut novel, Acevedo was celebrated as a spoken word performer and slam poetry champion, winning titles at the National Poetry Slam. This background in oral performance is evident in The Poet X, which she also narrated in its award-winning audiobook edition. The novel tells the story of a Dominican-American teenager in Harlem grappling with family expectations, faith, and her own emerging identity as a poet. The Poet X won the Carnegie Medal, the Pura Belpré Award, the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, and the Alex Award—one of the most decorated YA debut novels in recent history. Her subsequent works include With the Fire on Every Side (2019), a novel-in-verse for adults, and the young adult novels The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina (2021) and Family Lore (2023). Acevedo is recognized as one of the most important voices in Latinx literature and a transformative figure in YA poetry-fiction.