Julia Liu (she/her) is a Chinese writer based in New England. A Scholastic American Voices medalist and runner-up for the 2025 Connecticut Youth Poet Laureate title, she has received recognition from the National YoungArts Foundation, Pulitzer Center, Princeton University, Connecticut Poetry Society, Hollins University, and others. She strongly believes in growth through language and storytelling of all forms.Julia is an alumna of the Kenyon Young Writers and Ellipsis workshops as well as a SUNHOUSE mentee, having studied under Maria Gray, Simon Shieh, and Gyasi Hall. Her work appears or is forthcoming in Gigantic Sequins, Gone Lawn, Eunoia Review, CUTBOW Quarterly, Gutter Mag, Cloudscent Journal, among elsewhere. In addition, Julia edits for Sophon Lit, Hominum Journal, Eucalyptus Lit, and Biochar Magazine. She serves as Editor-in-Chief for her schools' literary magazine The Loom and as a Co-President of Young Poets Workshops, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing accessibility for teen writers. She is also the social media manager emeritus of Hand Picked Poetry.When she’s not creating, you can find her cafe hopping, doing crossword puzzles, and collecting too many Smiskis.
Work
The Loom, Editor-in-Chief (2025—)The Loomis Chaffee Log, Managing Editor (2025—)Hominum Journal, Poetry Editor (2024—)Sophon Lit, Poetry Editor (2024—)Biochar Magazine, Poetry Editor (2024—)Young Poets Workshops, Co-President (2024—)Eucalyptus Lit, Poetry Editor (2024—)Pencilhouse, Writing Critic (2024—)Handpicked Poetry, Social Media Manager (2023—2024)
Education/Workshops
Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship Program, studying under Jessica Lynn Suchon (2025)Cosmic Writers Mentorship Program, studied under Sunny Ajitabh (2025)SUNHOUSE Literary Mentorship, studied under Maria Gray (2024)Kenyon Review Young Writers' Workshop, studied under Gyasi Hall (2024)Ellipsis Advanced Poetry Workshop, studied under Simon Shieh (2024)Hominum Journal Workshop: Writing Hope, studied under Bella Rotker (2023)
Select Poems
"Interlaken, 2019" and "Proximity" in Cloudscent Journal."Pasture Land" in Gigantic Sequins. (fc)"Uprooting" in BreakBread Magazine. (fc)"Winter Love Poem" in Gutter Mag. (print)"Fortune Cookie" in Talking Gourds."Impermanence" in Gone Lawn."I Dreamed // I Lost" in SUNHOUSE Literary."Fishbone" in Connecticut River Review."self-portrait as a hopeless romantic" in Eunoia Review."oranges" in Metachrosis Literary. (print)"Interstellar" in CUTBOW Quarterly."trench song" in Livina Press. (print)
Select Prose
"Recollections" (fc)
Select Artwork
"In Memoriam" - cover art for issue 6 of Hot Pot Magazine.
Honors
2025 Connecticut State Youth Poet Laureate, Runner-up.National YoungArts Foundation, 2025 Winner in Writing/Poetry.Smith College High School Poetry Prize, Semifinalist. (2025)Interlochen Virginia B. Ball Creative Writing Scholarship, Finalist. (2025)Princeton Leonard L. Milberg '53 High School Poetry Prize, Honorable Mention. (2025)Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest, Honorable Mention. (2025)Woorilla Poetry Prize, Shortlist. (2024)Frontier Poetry OPEN Prize, Longlist. (2024)Fischer Prize, Finalist. (2024)Dawn Prize for Poetry, Longlist. (2024)Oxford Flash Fiction Prize, Longlist. (2024)Gigantic Sequins 13th Annual Poetry Contest, Finalist. (2024)Sundress Publications, Best of the Net nominee. (2024)Pulitzer Center Fighting Words Poetry Contest, Longlist. (2024)Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, American Voices Award, National Gold Medal, Gold Key 4x. (2024)Lynn DeCaro Poetry Contest, First Place. (2024)Metachrosis Literary, Pushcart Prize nominee. (2023)Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, National Gold Medal, Silver Key 2x. (2021)