The Washington State Poet Laureate builds awareness and appreciation of poetry through public readings, workshops, lectures, and presentations. Laureates perform this work in culturally and geographically diverse communities throughout the state. The Washington State Poet Laureate program is jointly sponsored by the Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA) and Humanities Washington.
Derek Sheffield named 2025-2027 Washington State Poet Laureate
Celebrated poet and professor Derek Sheffield is Washington’s eighth State Poet Laureate. Sheffield lives in the Wenatchee Valley and serves as a professor of English at Wenatchee Valley College. He has published several poetry collections and edits poetry for Terrian.org, and has also received fellowships from the Sustainable Arts Foundation, Artist Trust, the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, and the Spring Creek Foundation for his poetry. He will take over the role from current Laureate Arianne True.
Interested in hosting Derek Sheffield for a reading, workshop, or other event?
Please note that Derek is currently in transition to the Laureateship. We will respond to your inquiry as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience.
Meet Arianne True, the 2023-25 Washington State Poet Laureate
Arianne True (Choctaw, Chickasaw) is a disabled queer poet and teaching artist from Seattle, and has spent most of her work time working with youth. She’s received fellowships and residencies from Jack Straw, Artist Trust, and the Seattle Repertory Theater, among others, and is a proud alum of Hedgebrook and of the MFA program at the Institute of American Indian Arts. She lives in Tacoma with her cat and is always questing for high-quality dairy-free baked goods. Arianne is the 2023-2025 Washington State Poet Laureate.
Learn more at https://www.arts.wa.gov/washington-state-poet-laureate/ and follow her on Instagram at @wapoetlaureate and @ariannetrue.
.
Queer Poetry Anthology
As part of Arianne True’s term as the Washington State Poet Laureate, she’s putting together an anthology of poems from queer writers of all stripes across the state.
- The Washington State Legislature passed a bill in 2007 to establish the Washington State Poet Laureate program. The bill recognized the value of poetry to the state’s culture and heritage.
- The Governor appoints the Laureate based on recommendations from a geographically and culturally diverse panel of representatives from Washington’s arts, humanities, and literary communities.
- Once appointed, ArtsWA and Humanities Washington provide funding for the honorarium ($40,000 annually), travel and project expenses, and administrative support for the Laureate.
- The Laureate serves a two-year term. The 2023-2025 Laureate’s term begins May 1, 2023.
Poet Laureate nominations are submitted using an online portal (Submittable).
A geographically and culturally diverse panel of representatives from Washington’s arts, humanities and literary communities score each nomination. The panel identifies finalists (generally up to three) to be interviewed by the panel. These interviews will happen via video conferencing/or in person depending on circumstances at that time. After the interviews, the panel makes a recommendation to Governor Inslee, who appoints at his discretion.
ArtsWA and Humanities Washington staff do not score nominations or make recommendations on candidates during the selection process but do help facilitate the process and answer technical questions.
Rena Priest
Claudia Castro Luna
Tod Marshall
Elizabeth Austen
Kathleen Flenniken
Samuel GreenQuestions?
Linnea Ingalls, Tribal Cultural Affairs Program Coordinator and ArtsWA lead for the Washington State Poet Laureate program.
Phone: 360-252-9969
Email: linnea.ingalls@arts.wa.gov
Additional support for the Poet Laureate program comes from Amazon Literary Partnership Poetry Fund and the Academy of American Poets.