2024 Bombeck Workshop Erma Poet Laureate Barbara Fant

Barbara Fant is a healer, bridge-builder, light-bearer and joy-keeper. She strives to create spaces where people can heal and writes prayers that sound like poems.

Fant has competed in nine National Poetry Slam competitions and was a World Poetry Slam finalist.

She’s written two poetry collections, Paint, Inside Out (2010) and Mouths of Garden (2022), and her work has been featured by the Academy of American Poets, Electric Literature, The McNeese Review, The Columbus Anthology, Button Poetry and Def Poetry Jam.

She has completed residencies in Cuba and Senegal. She leads healing-informed poetry workshops for youth in detention, adults who are incarcerated, adults in recovery and survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence.

She is certified as a healing-centered engagement specialist and holds master’s degrees in poetry and theology.

She is the founder of the Black Women Rise Poetry Collective and co-founder of the Senghor Project, West African International Artist Residency.