Cave Canem has revealed the 2025 cohort of Fellows, ushering in sixteen amazing poets for its week-long residency, currently underway at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg.
The annual residency brings together poets at various stages of their careers for a rigorous and affirming environment of workshops, craft talks, faculty lectures, and public readings. The 2025 Cave Canem Fellows are:
- Ajanaé Dawkins
- Asia Calcagno
- Brandon Kilbourne
- Cherise Benton
- Crystal Valentine
- Joel Kemegue
- Kailah Figueroa
- Kyle Carrero Lopez
- Marina Avery Robinso
- MaKshya Tolbert
- Nicole Sessions
- Rodrick Minor
- Saddiq Dzukogi
- Tobi Kassim
- Wes Matthews
- Zaynab Iliyasu Bobi
Established in 1996, the Cave Canem Fellowship is one of the most influential literary programs dedicated to Black poets in the United States. Often described as a “home for Black poetry,” the program has nurtured more than 500 poets, including National Book Award winners, U.S. Poets Laureate, and Pulitzer Prize finalists. The fellowship offers three years of residency and ongoing access to a network of peer and professional support, contributing to what is widely recognized as a transformative impact on American letters.
Congratulations to the 2025 Cohort of Fellows!
Bakare Oluwatobiloba
I write to educate, motivate and define history with literature. Just being me!
