Clara A.B. Joseph named Poet Laureate
MEDIA RELEASE
April 28, 2026
For immediate release
(Calgary AB) – Calgary Arts Development and the Calgary Poet Laureate selection committee are pleased to announce the appointment of Clara A.B. Joseph as the 2026 – 2028 Calgary Poet Laureate. The position was formally announced in Council Chambers at Calgary City Hall today, to mark the end of National Poetry Month.
“The Poet Laureate reflects our city through the power of words and language,” says Patti Pon, President & CEO of Calgary Arts Development. “We thank Shone Thistle for their term from 2024 – 2026. Shone’s infinite empathy, kindness and activism make their spoken and written words resonate and connect deeply with audiences and readers. We know Shone will continue to celebrate community and advocate for positive change through their words and their work for years to come.
“It is a pleasure to welcome Clara A.B. Joseph as Calgary’s eighth Poet Laureate. In addition to being a Professor of English at the University of Calgary, she is a celebrated poet whose award-winning work explores memory, family and ethical attention in everyday life. As Calgary’s Poet Laureate, she brings poetry into public spaces across the city, creating opportunities for communities to listen, reflect and share their stories.”
“Poetry begins in listening, and in the discernment that listening requires,” says Clara A.B. Joseph. “In a city such as Calgary, with its many histories, languages and ways of being, I see this role as an invitation to attend more carefully to one another. I hope to help create spaces where poetry is encountered not as something distant, but as a shared practice of reflection, care and connection. I am honoured to serve this city in that spirit.”
Clara A.B. Joseph is a poet and Professor of English at the University of Calgary. Her poetry collections include The Face of the Other, Dandelions for Bhabha, and M/OTHER, which received first place from the Catholic Media Association (US and Canada).
Joseph is also the author of two scholarly books on the history and thought of the Thomas Christians of India: Christianity in India: The Anti-Colonial Turn (2019) and India’s Nonviolent Freedom Struggle: The Thomas Christians (1599–1799) (2024).
As Calgary’s Poet Laureate, she brings poetry to the people through readings, conversations and collaborations with libraries, schools and community organizations. Her work invites communities to experience poetry as a shared practice of listening, reflection and attention to one another.
Further information about Clara A.B. Joseph can be found at:
UCalgary Profile: profiles.ucalgary.ca/clara-joseph
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/claara-joseph
Instagram: instagram.com/clarajosephab/
LInkedIn: linkedin.com/in/clara-joseph
About the Calgary Poet Laureate
On July 6, 2011, City Council approved a motion to establish a Calgary Poet Laureate position, funded by a group of Calgary Poet Laureate Ambassadors. The program is currently supported by Calgary Foundation and Calgary Public Library. Bird Creatives administers the program on behalf of Calgary Arts Development in conjunction with a volunteer selection committee, which appoints each Calgary Poet Laureate for a two-year term. The Calgary Poet Laureate is intended to be an artistic ambassador for Calgary, presenting at civic events and producing literary works that reflect our city and its people.
About National Poetry Month
Each April the League of Canadian Poets celebrates National Poetry Month. To find out more, visit here. Established in 1966, the League of Canadian Poets is a national non-profit organization dedicated to supporting poets, building poetic communities, supporting inclusive and equitable free expression, and promoting Canadian poets and poetry.
About Calgary Arts Development
As the city’s designated arts development authority, Calgary Arts Development supports and strengthens the arts to benefit all Calgarians. We invest and allocate municipal funding for the arts provided by The City of Calgary and leverage these funds to provide additional resources to the arts sector. Our programs support hundreds of arts organizations, individual artists, artist collectives and ad hoc groups in Calgary. In 2021, we were selected as the steward of the public art program on behalf of The City of Calgary. We are delivering a public art program that is relevant, transparent and engaging; guided by our values, our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, and our breadth of knowledge and deep relationships within Calgary’s arts community.
calgaryartsdevelopment.com
Learn more about the Calgary Poet Laureate program here.
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Further Information
Helen Moore-Parkhouse
Director, Communications and Events, Calgary Arts Development
Phone: (office) 403.264.5330 ext.102; (mobile) 587.227.0150
Email: helen.moore-parkhouse@calgaryartsdevelopment.com
