Nominations open for next Hawaiʻi State Poet Laureate

Applications are being accepted for the 2026-2029 Hawaiʻi State Poet Laureate, a three-year term position that honors an accomplished poet and supports literary programming across the islands.

The Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities, the Hawaiʻi State Public Library System, and the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts are inviting the public to submit nominations, including self-nominations, for the prestigious role. The selected poet will receive an annual grant of $25,000 to fund community-focused literary projects during their tenure.

Final application materials are due by Nov. 15. Interested individuals can find the nomination form and additional information by searching for the “Hawaiʻi State Poet Laureate program” online.

Eligible candidates must be residents of Hawaiʻi with a minimum of 10 years of experience in poetry within the state and a proven record of community service and education. Nominees will be evaluated based on artistic excellence and their deep dedication to Hawaiʻi and its diverse communities. The poet laureate must be prepared to travel statewide for programming.

Applicants are asked to outline their vision for the three-year term and describe the community projects they plan to implement.

Aiko Yamashiro, executive director of the Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities, emphasized the role of poetry in connecting people.

“Poetry can bring diverse people together, encouraging them to tell their stories and create new worlds. We are looking forward to nominations and self-nominations from our vibrant local literary community,” Yamashiro said.

The current Hawaiʻi Poet Laureate, Brandy Nālani McDougall (2023–2025), is continuing her community programming on Kauaʻi and Oʻahu through the end of the year. During her term, she has promoted literacy, supported emerging writers and highlighted other local literary voices.

“Serving as Hawaiʻi’s poet laureate has been an honor beyond words — to share my own voice, but more importantly, to help others find and share theirs,” McDougall said. “It’s been a joy to hear and learn from our local people as they create poems that only they could write and tell — poems shaped by their memories, their imaginations, and their aloha for Hawaiʻi. The magic of poetry is how quickly and deeply it can connect us to each other.”

Launched in 2022 as a collaboration of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, the Hawaiʻi State Public Library System and the Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities, the Hawaiʻi Poet Laureate program promotes and encourages appreciation of poetry and literary life in Hawaiʻi and the poetry community while inspiring new writers from all walks of life.