Do you know a wordsmith who knows the power of poetry and can share it with Lancastrians of all ages?
The City of Lancaster is currently seeking its first Poet Laureate to serve a one-year non-renewable term. Duties include championing the poetry and spoken arts of the City of Lancaster in person and on social media. Encourage citizens of all ages, including young people, to appreciate poetry and spoken word. Participate in and/or organize literary or other cultural events in the city.
The reward is a $2,500 honorarium, with $500 at the start, $1,000 in the middle, and $1,000 at the end.
Applications are now open online and will close on February 17th. According to the application, the city of Lancaster will announce her Poet Laureate in April.
Candidates must be over the age of 18. The chosen poet has to go through some background her clearance.
Search for applications online here.
While this is the first adult Poet Laureate to appear in the city, it is not the first local edition of the title, according to newspaper records. In 2016, Natalia Delgado and Thea Buckwalter were named the city’s first Young Poets Award winners. In 2008, Barbara Bachman Strusco was named Lancaster County’s first Poet Laureate by the Lancaster Literature Guild. Others to hold the title include Daina Savage and Christopher Longenecker.
