Rockford Poet Laureate

City of Rockford Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Program 

The Rockford Area Arts Council, in partnership with the Rockford Public Library and the City of Rockford, established the City of Rockford Poet Laureate and Youth Poet in October, 2020. A City Poet Laureate is an honorary position; Poets Laureate promote literacy and literature among residents of all ages. The Arts Council and the Rockford Public Library develop programming, and complementary resources, to provide the recipient with opportunities to promote their personal work, host workshops for residents, and appear at important City events. The official honor of City of Rockford Poet Laureate, is awarded for a period of two years and is a grant-funded position. The City of Rockford Youth Poet is awarded for a period of one year. 

Poet Laureate Nominations 2023/2024

The City of Rockford Poet Laureate Committee encourages all eligible candidates to self-nominate and for other members of the public to nominate eligible candidates. Poets of all subgenres and styles will be considered.

Nominees:

• Must be at least 21 years of age at the time of nomination
• Must have been a City of Rockford resident for at least 1 year prior to the nomination deadline and remain a resident throughout the two-year term
• Must be committed to bringing poetry to a wide range of places and people
• Must be able and available to reach City of Rockford audiences through travel or other means
• Provide evidence of achievement in the art of poetry, including having a body of publicly accessible work (published books, literary magazines, and/or digital media)
• Must be prepared to undertake the public role required of the laureate