Nominations Under Review For The Next N.H. Poet Laureate

SEARCH FOR NEXT N.H. POET LAUREATE UNDERWAY

UPDATE: Nominations for the next NH State Poet Laureate are now closed.

Current Poet Laureate Alexandria Peary will complete her term in March 2024, after five years serving as an ambassador for New Hampshire’s poets and raising the visibility and value of poetry in the state. She has done and continues to do tremendous work promoting poetry in the state. Be sure to check out all she has accomplished and what she has still planned during her tenure.

Former New Hampshire poets laureate include Walter Butts, Patricia Fargnoli,  Alice Fogel, Donald Hall, Marie Harris, Cynthia Huntington, Jane Kenyon, and Maxine Kumin. 

New Hampshire’s poet laureate, an honorary position, was established by the state legislature in 1967 (RSA 3-A). The Poetry Society of New Hampshire’s board of directors submits the name or names of persons to the Governor and Council; the Governor, with the advice and consent of the council, appoints the poet laureate. The N.H. State Council on the Arts is assisting the Poetry Society of New Hampshire (PSNH) with the coordination of the upcoming nomination. 

Full guidelines are available at https://psnh.org/2024-laureate-nomination-guidelines.

For more information, email info@psnh.org.

The Walter Butts’ New Hampshire Poet Laureate Endowment Fund, created in Butts’ memory and coordinated through the Poetry Society of New Hampshire, provides New Hampshire’s poet laureate with a $500 – $1,000 honorarium each year to assist with travel and other costs associated with the position. New Hampshire poets laureate also receive lifetime membership in the Poetry Society of New Hampshire.