NEW YORK, NY — 2026 will mark the 30th Anniversary of Cave Canem. For the last three decades, Cave Canem has supported the work of Black poets in the United States and, in our more recent history, other parts of the African diaspora. In June, we will host a reunion to give our Fellows an opportunity to connect with each other—some for the first time since the late 90s. This milestone affords us the chance to bring the Fellowship together, and to that end, we will not be accepting any new applications in 2026.
The success of Cave Canem is that there are more Black poets participating in the literary landscape, and the competitive nature of our Fellowship program is no secret. We aim to have as many third-year Fellows as possible complete their residency in 2026, which will allow us to offer more Fellowships in the 2027 cohort.
We hope that you join us in reflecting on and celebrating the ways in which our poets enrich our literature, our communities, and the culture. More details for how you can join our 30th anniversary celebrations to come in the new year.