Victoria Bañales
Watsonville Poet Laureate
Victoria is the 2025-2027 Watsonville Poet Laureate. As a past board member of the Watsonville Public Library, Victoria proposed, created, and chaired the Watsonville Poet Laureate Committee, which led to the city's first Poet Laureate, Bob Gómez (2022-24).
Journal X
Victoria is the founder of Xinachtli Journal, better known as Journal X, a literary arts magazine focused on social justice, which was awarded the Superior Distinction in 2024 by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). To learn more about Journal X or read the magazine online, visit our website.
Writers of Color-Santa Cruz County
Victoria is a co-founder of the Writers of Color-Santa Cruz County and has been an active member since its inception. The organization supports writers of color in Santa Cruz County and creates and participates in poetry events in the area. Visit our website to learn more.
Círculo de Poetas & Writers
Victoria is an active member of Círculo de Poetas & Writers, and this year, she'll be leading a writing workshop during Círculo's annual conference at the Museum of Art and History (MAH) in Santa Cruz. Círculo supports Latinx/Chicanx writers but is open to all. To learn more about the organization or register for the yearly (August) writing conference, click here.
The Hive Poetry Collective
Victoria is a past member of the Hive Poetry Collective, which creates poetry radio shows and podcasts. Shows air on Sundays at 8 PM on KSQD Santa Cruz 90.7 FM. The Hive also hosts live poetry readings at Bookshop Santa Cruz. Visit the Hive website to learn about upcoming poetry events. Scroll to the bottom of the page to access Victoria's archived radio shows, which include interviews with poets Naomi Helena Quiñonez, Adela Najarro, Magdalena Montaigne, and more.
Cabrillo College
As a tenured English Professor at Cabrillo College, Victoria teaches Chicanx/Latinx literature, creative writing, and college composition. She has taught in various learning communities, including Cabrillo's Summer Migrant Program (SMP), the Academy for College Excellence (ACE), and the Puente Project. In 2017, she was selected for the EOPS Instructor of the Year Award. As Faculty Senate President, she serves on numerous college committees and task forces.
Journal X
Xinachtli Journal, also known as Journal X, gives voice to a broad range of social justice issues. We accept short fiction, short memoir, poetry, short plays and screenplays, essays, art, and photography. We encourage experimental submissions and publish works in English, Spanish, or Spanglish. Submissions are due January 8 on a yearly basis. Our magazine is published online and in print format (hard copies) every summer/fall.