JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. –Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced the appointment of Justin Hamm as the Missouri Poet Laureate for 2025-2025.
The Poet Laureate program was established in Missouri in 2008 by the Missouri Arts Council. Their goal was to foster an environment where the art of poetry can flourish in schools, communities and cultural spaces.
Born and raised in central Illinois, Hamm developed a true appreciation of the Midwest. According to the office of the governor, Hamm is a successful author of five poetry books.
He also made several appearances in journals and anthologies nationwide. Hamm currently works as a librarian at Eugene Field Elementary in Mexico, Missouri.
Now residing in Twain, Missouri, many of Hamm’s work aims to showcase his admiration for Missouri’s landscapes and its people.
“As Poet Laureate, I hope to uplift the voices of our state’s poets higher, and to remind everyday Missourians that poetry isn’t some distant art, but a living thing and it belongs to anyone with a heart that yearns for connection,” Hamm said.
Hamm’s term as Missouri Poet Laureate begins on Oct. 1, 2025, and it runs through Sept. 30, 2027.
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