Poet Darrell Bourque, a former Louisiana poet laureate, will receive an award from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette for his contribution to Louisiana's literature.
The university announced Friday that Bourque will receive the 2016 James Williams Rivers Prize in Louisiana Studies on Monday.
The selection committee praised Bourque for "preserving and expanding our understanding of Louisiana through poetry."
Bourque, who grew up in a rural community near Sunset, has published nine collections of poetry. He graduated from UL and earned a master's degree and a doctorate in creative writing from Florida State University.
The James William Rivers Prize in Louisiana Studies honors writers, researchers, cooks, musicians and others whose work is important for Louisiana.