Who is Hanna Watson?

Hanna Elisabeth Watson is a spoken word poet, writer, and speaker whose work centers around God’s reconciliation of humanity to Himself through Jesus Christ. When confronted with the harrowing reality of police brutality, Hanna found solace in the God who desired to make all things new, including her wandering soul and broken community. It was then that Hanna began to write.

From spoken word and free verse to oratory and sonnets, Hanna blurs the lines between new and old forms. Her words explore the joys and struggles of blackness, womanhood, and justice, through the lens of Biblical truth. Seeking art in the everyday, she writes of wheat-brushed horizons and vertical barrios with equal passion.  

Hanna has performed her poetry around the world from Washington, DC to Cape Town to Jerusalem. In 2019, she was featured in Poets in Autumn, the world’s largest spoken word poetry tour, and she has shared the stage with Grammy-recognized artists Lecrae and Jonathan McReynolds. Hanna’s written poetry has seen publication in North Carolina’s Best Emerging Poets: An Anthology, Makers and Mystics, and several local magazines. 

Hanna’s most recent release, The Poet, is a short spoken word album available on all digital platforms. Her current projects include a chapbook titled “i still believe God saves black boys” and a variety of teaching series on the nexus of creative writing and faith. 

Hanna holds a B.A. in African, African-American, & Diaspora Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where, in 2020, she was awarded the prestigious Robert B. House Memorial Prize for Poetry. She is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity degree at Princeton Theological Seminary. Outside of Writing, Hanna loves to cook, play guitar, sing, and ride her bike anywhere that she can find a tree-lined road. 

Resources

Words of Worship:

Creative Writing for Communal and Personal Devotion

Words of Worship is a workshop which teaches participants the art of joining the Creator in writing for His glory. Together, students explore the meaning of worship and are empowered to express their creativity with worshipful hearts regardless of their skill level or experience. Ranging in topics from the theology of creativity to Biblical memory, this content instructs participants in the discipline and joy of wordsmithery. After completing this seminar, students will have produced a body of poems, articles, or short stories which, when shared, further reveal the Creator to people from many backgrounds.

Words of Worship is available as a 4 week or 8 week seminar or a 1 day session. Click below to invite Hanna to instruct your organization or to request access to the materials.

Lyrical Lamentations

Lyrical Lamentations engages the Bible in close study to learn from the artistry of Biblical poets. This seminar focuses on God's revelation of His heart for justice throughout the Old Testament and how that revelation can be applied to injustices today. By studying contemporary and past poets and songwriters, participants leave Lyrical Lamentations with a greater understanding of the basic elements of Ancient Hebrew and Old English poetics and the tools to productively discuss the brokenness of our own communities.

Lyrical Lamentations is available as a single-session seminar. Click below to invite Hanna to instruct your organization or to request access to the materials.

Psalm 151: Creating in Crisis

Filmmaker Micah Ariel Watson, MFA and Poet Hanna Watson invite participants from songwriters to dancers to first-time painters to creatively process their emotions with God. The instructors demonstrate how the Psalms offer myriad examples of healthy management of physical, mental, and emotional struggles. After completing this workshop, participants will be empowered to conduct a basic psalmic exegesis, engage in fruitful discussions about hardship, and respond by activating their innate creative leanings.

Psalm 151 is available as a single-session seminar. Click below to invite Hanna to instruct your organization or to request access to the materials.