City Searches For Next Poet Laureate

BERKELEY, CA — The city of Berkeley has begun the search for its next poet laureate and it's not too late to apply to be considered for the honorary position, the city said.

"Poets, spoken word artists, and other literary artists living in Berkeley can apply to be Berkeley’s Poet Laureate, a champion of the city’s literary traditions and communities," the city of Berkeley said in a news release.

The city's Civic Arts Program, in partnership with the Berkeley Public Library, is hoping to find an experienced poet with deep ties to the city to serve in the position of the pilot program.

Resident's applications will be considered through a group review and evaluation process for the honorary position which includes a $10,000 honorarium over two years, in the first formalized, open selection process for the appointment.

The selected poet will champion the city's rich poetry, spoken word, and literary arts communities, serve as an aesthetic voice and collaborator with the broader arts community, and provide mentorship to develop literary artists.

The poet will also need to produce one original poem inspired by or related to Berkeley, coordinate at least one public reading event per year and recite a poem at up to five city and/or library events per year, among numerous other assignments.

Applicants must be current residents of Berkeley and at least 18 years old. For poets under 18, there is also the option to apply for the Berkeley Public Library’s Youth Poet Laureate program.

To apply for the city's Poet Lareate position, click here.