The Voice of a Generation!

I teach people how to function as a human so that they can function as a genius!

Speaking Engagements

For all speaking engagements over 5,000 dollars contact swhalen@penguinrandomhouse.com 

Alora Young is more than “just” a poet.   She is the voice of a generation that demands to be heard.  At 22, she is a published author, a lead actress in a feature film, a song writer,  a play-write and a Presidential Scholar.  She signed her first book deal at 18 and was the youngest ever member of the Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau. 

Alora Young was the 2021 Youth Poet Laureate of the Southern United States. She is a presidential scholar of the arts, a two-time TEDx Speaker, a scholastic gold medalist, an Americans for the Arts Round Table fellow, a Young Arts winner in spoken word, a recipient of the Princeton Prize in Race Relations, Spring Robinson literary prize, the Lin Arison excellence in writing award, and the International Human Rights Day rising advocate award.

 She was also nominated for Best of the Net by Rattle magazine.  She is the founder of AboveGround, an organization seeking to create equity in Nashville elementary schools through creative writing and neurodivergent education. She is an inaugural intern at the Center for Race Research and Justice at Vanderbilt University. 

She has publications in or upcoming in the New York Times, Rattle, Washington Post, Signal Mountain Review, Rigorous Mag, and Ice Colony Jornal. She was a poet in Lyric Fest’s production of Cotton and contributed to the anthology I Know What the Red Clay Looks Like. She won two Best Young Actress awards at the Rome and Madrid International Film Festival. 

 Alora Young has a degree in Spoken Word Pedagogy with a minor in Religion from Swarthmore College(class of 2025), an actor as well as a poet and she has performed her poetry on CNN, CBS, TIME, and many local channels in Nashville.  Her Book Walking Gentry Home was released by Hogarth Books in August of 2022. It received a starred review in the Kirkus review and it was nominated for a Goodreads Choice award. 

It won best debut in the Nashville Scene magazine, Ms. magazine ,and was a best-seller on Amazon. She is planning to pursue a M.F.A in creative writing and a PHD. in neurodivergent creativity. She spends her free time writing and playtesting her two board games Girlboss and Fake Your Own Death. She has written ten books, Three plays and thousands of songs and poems many of which will be coming out in the following years. 

Alora is diagnosed with ADHD, Autism, And OCD. (as well as several other conditions) despite this, her passion and the depth of her messages will leave you spellbound. she is a valiant fighter for the rights of neurodivergent youth and minoritized communities around the world. Her smile and humor will remind you that there is hope for the future.

You can book Alora for a speaking engagement by contacting the Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau 

Panel Appearance: Participation in a panel or group conversation30–45 min)
Talk + Q&A (60–90 min total)Includes 45–60 min keynote + live audience Q&A
Keynote Speech (30–60 min) Custom talk + performance
Half-Day Visit: 1 talk + 1 workshop or class
Full-Day Residency: Up to 2 talks, 2 workshops, or meetings

NeuroVerse Coaching & Creative Writing

(for all inquires under 5,000 dollars contact alorayoung2003@gmail.com) 

The Savants & Syntax Society: Weekly poetry prompts, weekly micro-lessons, Early access to my creative endeavors, monthly deep-dives & access to a private discord
Private Neurodivergent coaching For Neurodivergent Creatives and High Achievers (50 min session)
Private Tutoring (50 min sessions) in Creative Writing, Poetry,Performance, or English
4-Session Package Includes weekly check-ins + tailored feedback
Poetry Mentorship (2 months)Biweekly sessions + feedback + poem audits

Workshops!

60-Minute Workshop: 1 custom workshop on the topics of poetry and/or neurodivergence.(see topics) (up to 30 participants)
Two-Session Series: 2 workshops over one or two days on the topics of poetry and/or Neurodivergence. (see topics page)
Creative Residency (Full Day)Up to 3 sessions + performance + Q&A
Professional Development for educators on Teaching spoken word in classrooms, with a focus in teaching neurodivergent students.

"A masterpiece that beautifully captures the heartbreak that accompanies coming of age for Black girls becoming Black women" - Evette Dionne

The day after her 18th birthday, Hogarth Books, a division of Penguin Random House, offered Alora her first book deal.  Walking Gentry Home, a memoir in verse, was published in August of 2022 and is currently available everywhere books are sold.  It has become one of the best selling poetry books of the 2020’s.

This amazing story chronicles nine generations of Southern, Black women from slavery through current day.  Written in a unique style that mixes poetry with storytelling, Walking Gentry Home is book that promises to endure for as many generations as the women between its covers.  

Walking Gentry Home was nominated for a goodreads choice award and has received praise from critics, academics and other artists.  

 Amazon Reviews 

Penguin Random House Author Page

Poems Available For Purchase!

Individual Packages

*includes revisions

Written-Only Poems

PackageLength & StyleDelivery TimePrice
Basic4–8 lines (~50 words)3 business days$75
Standard12–16 lines (~100 words)5 business days$150
Premium20–24 lines (~200 words)7 business days$275
Deluxe200–300 words, two perspectives, extra revision10 business days$500
PackageDuration & StyleDelivery TimePrice
Basic3–4 minute piece5 business days$250
Standard4–5 minute piece7 business days$400
Premium5–6 minute piece10 business days$650
Deluxe6–7 minute bespoke performance14 business days$1,200

Corporate Packages

Written-Only Poems

PackageLength & ToneDelivery TimePrice
Basic8–12 lines5 business days$250
Standard16–20 lines7 business days$450
Premium30–40 lines10 business days$800
Deluxe300–400 words, two revisions, usage rights14 business days$1,500

Spoken-Word Performances

PackageDuration & FeaturesDelivery TimePrice
Basic3–4 minute branded piece7 business days$600
Standard4–5 minute narrative piece10 business days$1,000
Premium5–6 minute custom script14 business days$1,600
Deluxe6–7 minute full production21 business days$3,000

*All packages include one revision (Deluxe includes two). Rush orders (48-hour turnaround) +30%.

Spoken Performances

Ode to "Hamilton"

TEDx Talks

United Nations Coalition on Climate Change