Are YOU the Next Queens Poet Laurete?

Do you have a way with words? Is poetry your passion?  Are you enthusiastic about sharing your love of Queens through writing? If so, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz has an exciting announcement for you:  applications are now open for the next Queens Poet Laurete!

Along with Queens Library and Queens College, Katz has recently launched an open call application process for the esteemed three-year position that promotes a love of poetry and literacy throughout the borough. To be considered for the unpaid position, you must be a published poet and resident of Queens. The successful candidate will be a skilled writer who has plans to really dig in and make this role their own.

Borough President Katz says, “Because Queens is such a diverse borough, the Queens Poet Laureate must be a compelling wordsmith who is capable of synthesizing the borough’s many cultures and languages into poetry…In addition to being an excellent writer, the winning applicant will also have a deep and abiding love of Queens, its people and its spirit, and will be capable of engaging with our borough’s many communities to promote a greater appreciation of poetry.”

To apply, visit www.queensbp.org/poet and submit your application by April 24th, 2015. To be considered, applicants must submit representative samples of their poetry, including poems related to Queens. This writing sample should not exceed ten pages per applicant. The applications will be reviewed by a panel of expert judges who will review the applications and recommend three finalists to the Borough President, who will be responsible for making the final decision on the next Poet Laurete of Queens.

The Queens Borough President’s Office has teamed up with Queens College for this project since the very first search for a Queens Poet Laureate  in 1996. This year, Queens Library is getting in on the action for the first time and will offer meeting space for the next Queens Poet Laureate to present poetry and conduct outreach to the Queens community.

All application details can be found here. Good luck!

Follow Borough President Katz on Facebook and Twitter.