Jamaican-born writer Colin Channer has been named Rhode Island’s 7th Poet Laureate. The announcement was made by Governor Dan McKee.
“Colin Channer is an accomplished writer whose talent and work have touched the lives of so many people,” stated Governor McKee. “I’m excited to see him continue his craft here in the Ocean State where he will not just be a leader in poetry but serve as a poetry and literary inspiration to Rhode Islanders across our state.”
Lynne McCormack, Executive Director for the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, expressed enthusiasm for Governor McKee’s selection, saying, “We are thrilled with Governor McKee’s choice of such an accomplished, distinguished, and nationally recognized poet. We are looking forward to following him as he builds appreciation and participation in poetry and literary activities throughout the state.”
Governor McKee appointed Channer to the role under a five-year term. The position was established by the Rhode Island General Assembly in 1987.
An illustrious career
Colin Channer is internationally renowned as a poet, fiction writer, and editor. His latest book, the poetry collection Console (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux), earned accolades including being named a New Yorker Magazine Best Book of 2023 and being a finalist for the New England Book Award.
Throughout his illustrious career, Channer has garnered numerous honors, including a 2023 Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award, a 2023 Richard B. Salomon Faculty Research Award from Brown University, and a 2022 Fellowship from the Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library.
Reflecting on his appointment, Colin Channer remarked, “To be named State Poet is a gushy surprise and leveling honor. Poetry is many things, including a reachable, teachable way to strengthen empathy and stretch toward transcendence. It’s also just a bunch of fun. … I was born lucky, as my mother Phyllis, a retired pharmacist, just loves to say. This shocking honor proves her point. And hey, she’s always right!”
Life in Jamaica
Colin Channer, the youngest of four children, was born in Kingston, Jamaica. His writing journey commenced during his schooling at Ardenne and Meadowbrook High Schools, where he began by crafting love poems and other correspondence for fellow male students, charging $1 for letters and an additional 50 cents for poems.
After completing high school, Channer migrated to New York on July 24, 1982, with aspirations of pursuing a career in journalism. However, it was his encounter with Caryl Phillips’ novel, “The Final Passage,” that opened his eyes to the potential of fiction writing, particularly from an authentic Caribbean, and specifically Jamaican, perspective. Inspired by this realization, Channer pursued a B.A. in Media Communications at CUNY Hunter College.
Channer, currently serving as an Associate Professor & the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Literary Arts at Brown University, is also the co-founder of Jamaica’s Calabash International Literary Festival. He served as artistic director and board chairman of the festival from 2001-2012.
