Malaika King Albrecht served as the inaugural Heart of Pamlico Poet Laureate. She's the author of four poetry books. Her most recent book is The Stumble Fields (Main Street Rag 2020), which was a finalist in the 2021 Eric Hoffer Award.  Her book What the Trapeze Artist Trusts (Press 53) won honorable mention in the Oscar Arnold Young Award and was a finalist in 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Her chapbook Lessons in Forgetting was published by Main Street Rag and was a finalist in the 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and received honorable mention in the Brockman Campbell Award She’s the founding editor of Redheaded Stepchild, an online magazine that only accepts poems that have been rejected elsewhere. She lives in Ayden, N.C. on Freckles Farm with her family and is a yoga instructor, Reiki practitioner, and equine specialist in mental health and learning.