The post of Young Poet Laureate was created by the London Legacy Development Corporation, the organisation responsible for managing and maintaining Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, as part of Spoke - a new visionary poetry and spoken word programme that will offer people in east London an opportunity to watch, perform and develop careers in spoken word and performance poetry in and around the Park.

Warsan will produce a series of commissions, creating work that reflects on our ever-changing capital, culture and society. This will begin with a residency at the Houses of Parliament. She will be supported in her role by London's writer development agency, Spread the Word.