Governor Ralph Northam appointed Luisa A. Igloria as the 20th Poet Laureate of Virginia, with a two year term from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2022. In April 2021, she was 1 of 23 Poet Laureates nationwide who received a 2021 Poet Laureate Fellowship from the Academy of American Poets.
With Rita Dove who was the first African American Poet Laureate of VA and of the United States, Sofia Starnes (who is of Spanish and Filipino ancestry), Tim Seibles, and Luisa A. Igloria, now there are four poets of color who have been appointed to this distinguished position.
The honorary position of Virginia Poet Laureate was established in 1936; beginning in 1998, the Governor appointed a poet laureate from a list of nominees presented by the Poetry Society of Virginia. The Poet Laureate should “encourage the exchange of arts information and perspectives" and serve as the premiere ambassador of poetry for the state.
