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Rita Dove

Rita Dove

Keynote Speaker: Pulitzer Prize-Winning Poet, Former Poet Laureate to the Library of Congress & Henry Hoyns Professor of Creative Writing

Rita Dove Biography

Rita Dove was born in Akron, Ohio in 1952. A 1970 Presidential Scholar, she attended Miami University of Ohio, Universität Tübingen in Germany, and the University of Iowa, where she earned her creative writing MFA in 1977. In 1987, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her third collection of poetry, "Thomas and Beulah," and from 1993 to 1995, she served as U.S. Poet Laureate at the Library of Congress. Dove is a recipient of the 2022 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize.

Author of a novel, a book of short stories, essays, and numerous volumes of poetry, among them the National Book Award finalist and NAACP Image Award winner "Collected Poems 1974–2004," she also edited The "Best American Poetry 2000" and the "Penguin Anthology of 20th-Century American Poetry" (2011). Dove wrote poetry columns for the New York Times Magazine from 2018 to 2019 and The Washington Post from 2000 to 2002. Her drama "The Darker Face of the Earth" opened at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 1996 and the Kennedy Center in Washington in 1997, followed by its European premiere at the National Theatre in London in 1999. Her song cycle "Seven for Luck," with music by John Williams, was premiered by Cynthia Haymon with the Boston Symphony in 1998, and her song sequence "A Standing Witness," 14 poems with music by Richard Danielpour, was sung by Susan Graham with the Copland House musicians at the Kennedy Center, the Tanglewood Music Festival, and other venues in 2021 and 2022. W.W. Norton published Dove’s latest volume of poems, "Playlist for the Apocalypse," called 'a vital collection of poems about history and mortality' by the New York Times while naming it a Top Book of 2021.

Dove’s numerous honors include Lifetime Achievement Medals from the Library of Virginia and the Fulbright Association, the 2014 Carole Weinstein Poetry Prize, the 2019 Wallace Stevens Award from the Academy of American Poets, and the 2021 Gold Medal for Poetry from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the 16th (and third female and first African American) poet in the Medal’s 110-year history. In 1996, she received the National Humanities Medal from President Bill Clinton and in 2011, the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama—the only poet ever to receive both medals. To date, 29 honorary doctorates have been conferred upon Dove, most recently by Yale University, Emory University, Smith College, Harvard University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Iowa. She has served as president of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP), as a chancellor of Phi Beta Kappa, and as a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. A member of the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters, she teaches at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, where she is the Henry Hoyns Professor of Creative Writing.

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Rita Dove Videos

Rita Dove's 'Playlist for the Apocalypse' is her plea for unity
Rita Dove Recites Her Poem "Bellringer" at UVA's Bicentennial Celebration
The Denham Sutcliffe Memorial Lecture: An Evening with Rita Dove

How do I book Rita Dove to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Rita Dove for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Rita Dove, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Rita Dove or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Rita Dove for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Rita Dove, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Rita Dove are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Rita Dove, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Rita Dove speak about?

Rita Dove is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as College, Black Heritage, Diversity, Authors, Inspirational, Commencement, Big Think, News & Media, Literary, Poetry, Social Activism, Motivational, Influential Women, Culture, Women and Women's History Month.

Where does Rita Dove travel from?

Rita Dove generally travels from Charlottesville, VA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Rita Dove?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Rita Dove for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Rita Dove for your next private or corporate function.

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AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Rita Dove or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

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If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Rita Dove is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including College, Black Heritage and Diversity. The estimated speaking fee range to book Rita Dove for live events is $10,000 - $20,000, and for virtual events $10,000 - $20,000. Rita Dove generally travels from Charlottesville, VA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Nikki Giovanni, Erin Gruwell and Ijeoma Oluo. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Rita Dove for an upcoming event.

Rita Dove Videos

Rita Dove's 'Playlist for the Apocalypse' is her plea for unity
Rita Dove Recites Her Poem "Bellringer" at UVA's Bicentennial Celebration
The Denham Sutcliffe Memorial Lecture: An Evening with Rita Dove
Rita Dove Addresses UVA's Class of 2016

Rita Dove Reviews

  • Trustees of Deerfield Academy - Jan 17 2018

  • The event went really well. Ms. Dove was really well received by our students and the community. She was extremely accommodating and just a joy to be around. She and her husband are like a duo so it was almost a two-for-one. It was such an amazing experience to hear her speak and share her experiences and work. Students, staff, board members and residents are still thanking us for bringing her to the city.
    Project Learn - Oct 22 2014

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RITA DOVE

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