The director of New England College’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program is the new Poet Laureate of New Hampshire.

Jennifer Militello was nominated by Gov. Chris Sununu and recently confirmed by the Executive Council. Her five-year term starts in April. The Poet Laureate serves as an ambassador for poets in the Granite State to elevate the visibility and value of poetry in New Hampshire.

“I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to serve poetry and poets here in New Hampshire,” Militello said in a prepared statement. “I can’t wait to connect with writers and readers, students and teachers, as I move into this incredible role. And I feel fortunate to have the continued support of New England College as an institution that values the creative arts.”

Militello has authored five poetry collections, including Body Thesaurus (Tupelo Press, 2013), which was named a 2013 top book by Best American Poetry and was the runner-up for the Poetry Society of America’s Alice Fay DiCastagnola Award. Her memoir, Knock Wood (Dzanc Books, 2019), won the Dzanc Nonfiction Prize. Her poetry has also won the Barbara Bradley Award and the Yeats Poetry Prize.

She is a founding director of the New Hampshire Poetry Festival.

“Jennifer’s commitment to her craft represents the excellence we encourage and support in our community at NEC,” said Dr. Wayne F. Lesperance, President of New England College. 

For more information about Militello and her work see www.jennifermilitello.com. The Poetry Society of New Hampshire, a key contributor to the New Hampshire State Poet Laureate program, has a website at www.psnh.org.