The Library of Congress has appointed Arthur Sze to a second term as the nation's 25th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry, for 2026-2027. Sze, who lives in Santa Fe, N.Mex., was named poet laureate in September 2025 and began working to expand appreciation of poetry through his focus on translating poetry originally written in languages other than English.
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| Arthur Sze (photo: Mariana Cook) |
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His newest book, Transient Worlds: On Translating Poetry, features translations from 13 languages and provides a personal guide to poetry in translation. The book was published yesterday by Copper Canyon Press in association with the Library of Congress.
Sze's first term will conclude on April 30, when he will return to the library for a conversation with Simon Armitage, the Poet Laureate of the U.K., on the art and process of writing and translating poetry. In his second term, Sze is crafting his signature project, Words Bridging Worlds, and will embark on a U.S. tour to host public events, including readings, moderated discussions, and workshops focused on poetry and translation. Queens College of the City of New York is partnering with Sze to support the tour's workshops through the college's MFA program in creative writing and literary translation.
"It has been a great honor to serve as U.S. Poet Laureate from 2025-2026," Sze said, adding that Transient Worlds is "a vehicle to widen and deepen the appreciation of poetry through the lens of poetry in translation; and, for my second term, 2026-2027, I am excited to embark on taking my signature project, Words Bridging Worlds, to multiple cities to celebrate poetry and poetry in translation, and where people can use the book to try translating poems from another language into English."
Acting Librarian of Congress Robert Randolph Newlen commented: "Arthur Sze is opening the world of poetry by giving us a unique view of his process of writing and translating poetry--and challenging students and the public to try writing and translating poetry as well. The Library of Congress is proud to reappoint Arthur Sze, a leading poet of our time, as our nation's 25th U.S. Poet Laureate."