Ada Limón — former U.S. Poet Laureate and one of the most celebrated poets writing in America today — sits down with IWC Director Sarah Carriger to talk about what she’s learned in her over 20-year career.

Drawing on her book Startlement, which features new poems alongside work from her previous six collections, Limón speaks about her approach to craft, her process, and how she keeps making art when the world feels like it’s on fire.

In this episode, she shares insights on:

Warm, honest, and genuinely encouraging, this is the kind of conversation that makes you want to rush straight to your desk and start writing.

Recorded live in Amsterdam on International Women’s Day, 8 March 2026.

The International Writers’ Collective offers 8-week creative writing courses in Amsterdam, The Hague, and online. Learn more about our programme.

Ada Limón served as the 24th Poet Laureate of the United States (2022–2025). She is the author of seven collections, including The Carrying (National Book Critics Circle Award) and Bright Dead Things (finalist for the National Book Award). While Laureate, she edited the bestselling anthology You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World.

Sarah Carriger writes poetry and fiction and teaches advanced fiction courses at the International Writers’ Collective. She holds BA and MA degrees in English Literature from Stanford University, and her poems have appeared in Gulf Coast, Post Road, and The Pinch.

Working writers — craft-focused, interview-led, with room for real questions. Past guests include Lauren Groff, A.M. Homes, Kristen Roupenian, and Daniel Kraus. Browse the full archive here.

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