English professor Dr. Clara Joseph, PhD, appointed Calgary Poet Laureate

The Faculty of Arts congratulates Dr. Clara Joseph, PhD, on her appointment as the 2026-2028 Calgary Poet Laureate. Dr. Joseph is a poet and professor in the Department of English who has published both creative and scholarly works. Her poetry collections include The Face of the Other, Dandelions for Bhabha and M/OTHER, which received first place from the Catholic Media Association (U.S. and Canada).

“It is a pleasure to welcome Clara A.B. Joseph as Calgary’s eighth Poet Laureate,” says Patti Pon, President and CEO of Calgary Arts Development. “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.”

Dr. Joseph will collaborate with libraries, schools and community organizations, inviting Calgarians throughout the city to experience poetry as a shared practice of listening, reflection and attention to one another.