Newton Accepting Applications For Inaugural Poet Laureate

NEWTON, MA — The search for Newton's first-ever Poet Laureate is officially underway. Applications opened Sept. 19 and will remain open until Oct. 19.

The Poet Laureate will promote poetry in the city and bring it into the daily lives of Newton residents. Once the winner is named, they will begin a three-year term in January.

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The winner will have various duties aimed at elevating poetry as an art form. That will include presenting poetry at city events, developing public programming and serving as a resource during National Poetry Month in April.

To acknowledge the significance of the position, the city will provide an annual honorarium of $2,000.

To be considered for the role, applicants must meet several qualifications. They must be at least 18 years old and have lived in Newton for at least two years or plan to live in Newton during the appointment. Applicants must also be committed to promoting poetry and making it accessible to the entire community.

Once applications close, an advisory committee will review the submissions and interview three candidates. The committee will then recommend two finalists to the mayor, who will make the final decision.

Information about the application is available on the city website. There will also be a virtual information session Monday, Sept. 28, at 7 p.m. More details about the information session are available on the Newton Free Library website.