Shannon Laws is an award-winning poet, performer, and advocate for the arts. She has been recognized with two Mayor’s Arts Awards and the Dr. Asha Bhargava Memorial Award — Community Champion. Her work has been featured in numerous journals and anthologies, and she has captivated audiences at esteemed literary events.
A dynamic performer, Shannon has graced stages across Northwest Washington and British Columbia, including the Jack McCarthy Evergreen Invitational Slam, West Coast Tagore Festival, and Everett Poetry Night. Her work has been featured in numerous literary journals, and she has collaborated with the Bellingham Repertory Dance Company and the Adirondack Center for Writing. Her poem Lights Tonight received an Honorable Mention during the 2017 Women’s March on Bellingham.
RECENT PROJECTS
Shannon Laws is a dedicated writer, poet, and community advocate. Her latest project, Corridor, is a free monthly poetry and art zine featuring contributions from over 45 poets and artists across Washington and British Columbia since its launch in 2022. She also produced the Poetry Club Talks podcast, an extension of Poetry Club, a monthly discussion group she has facilitated since October 2015. Led by retired poetry professor Ron Leatherbarrow, the group meets monthly for casual yet insightful conversations about poetry. During the pandemic, discussions were made available as a podcast. Episodes are available on Shannon’s YouTube channel, Channel Chickadee.
Beyond her literary work, Shannon is deeply involved in community service. She is a community representative on the Community Development Advisory Board (CDAB) for the City of Bellingham (2022–26), a volunteer with the Salish Sea Poetry Festival (2025-2026), and served as a board member of the Interfaith Coalition (2024–25).
Radio
From 2011 to 2018, Shannon was a volunteer radio producer and host for three community-based programs: SPARK Radio 102.3 FM (Spark Museum of Electrical Invention), KZAX Make.Shift Radio 94.9 FM (Make.Shift Art Space), and KPNW Digital Radio. Her work in radio showcased her love for storytelling, music, and cultural conversations.
Episodes of Poetry Club Talks and classic blues radio shows are available on her YouTube channel, Channel Chickadee. To explore her top ten radio programs, visit her website: ShannonPLawsWriter.com/radio or navigate to the “RADIO” section in the menu.
Through her writing, media work, and community leadership, Shannon continues to foster creativity, dialogue, and artistic expression.
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