Louisiana Poet Laureate
Supporting Louisiana’s vibrant and thriving poetry scene
As Louisiana’s literary ambassador for two years, the Poet Laureate travels the state encouraging fellow Louisianans to explore and engage with poetry.
The LEH oversees the Louisiana Poet Laureate nomination process in partnership with the Governor of Louisiana and sponsors Poet Laureate public programming in libraries, museums, schools, community centers, and other non-profit cultural institutions throughout the state.
Recent Poets Laureates include Gina Ferrara, Alison Pelegrin, Mona Lisa Saloy, John Warner Smith, Jack Bedell, Brenda Marie Osbey, Darrell Bourque, Julie Kane, Ava Leavell Haymon, and Peter Cooley. For a full list of Louisiana Poets Laureate, click here.
For currently scheduled Poet Laureate programming or to host a program with the Poet Laureate see below.
2025–2027 Louisiana Poet Laureate, Gina Ferrara
Gina Ferrara, an associate professor of English at Delgado Community College, lives in New Orleans and has five poetry collections. Her latest, Amiss, was published by Dos Madres Press in 2023. Her work has appeared in many journals including Callaloo, The Poetry Ireland Review, Tar River, The Southern Review, and was nominated for a Best of the Net and a Pushcart Award in 2024. She received a Bachelor of Arts in English and Master of Fine Arts from the University of New Orleans.
“Poetry dwells in all of us and it’s often a matter of cultivation that leads to fruition. It is about finding voice. My experience as an educator has made this my mantra and mission, whether it has been leading breast cancer survivors in a workshop or nurturing reluctant middle schoolers to write a poem. A discovered voice is something I am privileged to see,” Ferrara said.
Do you want to bring the Poet Laureate to your town?
Typical Poet Laureate programs include lectures, readings, and workshops. Events must be free and open to the general adult public. Programs designed strictly for school-aged children are ineligible.
During the fall semester of the 2025-26 school year, the Louisiana Poet Laureate is unavailable for programming before 3 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays and is entirely unavailable on Tuesdays.
Potential programming applicants should contact Program Manager Clare Shelburne at shelburne@leh.org to secure detailed information on preparing the brief application. Applications are approved in consultation with the Poet Laureate. The LEH requires that project proposals be submitted at least six weeks before the event’s start date.
The LEH provides a baseline honorarium for the Louisiana Poet Laureate. Host sites are encouraged to issue a stipend to the Poet Laureate for participation in project activities. Stipend amounts may vary depending on type of programming, geographic location of host site, and resources available to the host site. Programming details and stipend amount (if applicable) must be agreed upon between the host site and Poet Laureate in advance of completing the grant application.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Applications must be submitted at least six weeks prior to the planned event. For access to the Poet Laureate application, please contact Program Manager Clare Shelburne at shelburne@leh.org.
Stay tuned for programming with the Poet Laureate!