Comox Valley Poet Laureate Competition - Submissions due April 1st

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Monday, April 1st, 2019

The Comox Valley Arts Council has begun the search for our third poet laureate to engage and inspire the community for a two-year term, 2019-2021.

“All forms of poetic expression, from song-writing and rap/hip-hop to classic page poetry and spoken-word are equally valued in this search,” says CV Arts board member Wendy Nixon-Strothert. “We strongly encourage anyone with a penchant for prose to come forward.”

Remember, this isn't about how much you've published or where you've published, or even if you're published! Our current poet laureate, Natalie Nickerson, says, "I personally feel that anyone applying to be poet laureate should simply love and appreciate poetry and feel capable of inspiring the same love and appreciation in others; this is more important, I think, than an applicant considering themselves an accomplished poet."

The winner will not only be draped in fame and respect, but will be awarded a $2000 honorarium to carry out poet laureate duties over the term.

The winner will be expected to create works during the year, appear at significant community events (i.e. Empire Day, Miners Memorial, Canada Day, etc.), work to stimulate and encourage poetic and cultural writing (such as a youth poetry challenge), and serve as a lightning rod for the mood of the community.

The diverse judging panel includes our current poet laureate, Natalie Nickerson; award-winning writer and NIC English instructor, Jordan Scott; rapper Eric Ettinger of Butterfinger Bombsquad; and COZY, aka Josie Patterson, a 21-year-old whose song-writing and performance career has recently taken off.

If you love poetry and you're enthusiastic about sharing it with others, please apply, nominate someone you know, and/or come out to our events to hear some great local poetry and cheer on our contestants.

https://www.comoxvalleyarts.com/what-we-do/comox-valley-poet-laureate-program/comox-valley-poet-laureate-project/