The Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) announced today it is currently accepting nominations and applications for Indiana Poet Laureate. The Poet Laureate’s role is to connect Hoosiers with poetry and spread the joy of the art form to all parts of the state. The IAC is looking for a poet that is a strong advocate for the state, has a well-defined creative practice, and is community-oriented to serve as the Indiana Poet Laureate for the 2024-2026 term.
“The State Poet Laureate Program is important to Indiana because it brings a face, a personality and a voice to the art of poetry that can then be shared and brought to all corners of the state for enjoyment, inspiration and education,” said Matthew Graham, current Poet Laureate.
The IAC encourages all eligible candidates to self-nominate and for other members of the public to nominate eligible candidates. To be eligible, a nominee must be a current resident of the State of Indiana and remain a resident during their two-year term of service as Indiana Poet Laureate. Nominees should be established poets, with experience in educational program development. Read the eligibility criteria and guidelines for the Poet Laureate position.
Nominations must be submitted to the IAC through this form, and must be received by 5:00PM ET on Aug. 11, 2023.
Applying poets must submit a full application to the IAC through this form by 5:00PM ET on Sept. 1, 2023.
Applications will be reviewed by a committee of six representatives of Indiana’s colleges and universities, with the executive director of the IAC serving as the chair of the committee. The committee will convene this fall to begin the review of nominations. The selected poet will begin serving a two-year term on January 1, 2024.
Learn more about the Poet Laureate program.