Shawn Welcome • Former Orlando Poet Laureate, Professional Speaker, Community Builder

Shawn Welcome is the co-founder of the Literary Arts Council of Central Florida and the former Poet Laureate for the City of Orlando. He is also delivering the Keynote Address at Florida WritersCon 2026.

An award-winning professional speaker and gifted storyteller, Shawn inspires, educates, and entertains audiences around the world. He has traveled extensively to perform, speak, and facilitate writing and performance workshops, dedicating his life to serving others and amplifying the voices of his community

In 2006, he founded Diverse Word, Central Florida’s longest-running open mic, which continues to provide a platform for creative expression nearly two decades later. 

Hands-on Craft Workshop: Concrete Imagery and the Moonlight

This interactive spoken word poetry workshop demonstrates the power of engaging the five senses in creative writing expression and guides participants through discussion, writing, and sharing poems with each other. Participants will transition to understanding how asking deeper questions can inspire future poems through a workbook activity. The overall experience includes peer-to-peer learning, lecture, and hearing from diverse voices in a room that celebrates writing and creativity.

In addition to this  2-hour, hands-on workshop, Sean will be delivering the Keynote Address at Florida WritersCon 2026.