Worcester Selects New Poet Laureate, Youth Poet Laureate

WORCESTER, MA — Worcester has announced who will serve as the city's new Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate.

Nicole “Nic” Jean Turner, a distinguished poet and community advocate, has been selected as the Poet Laureate, while Samara Tang-Rainwater, a first-year student at Doherty Memorial High School, was selected as the Youth Poet Laureate, according to a news release from the city. The two were presented with ceremonial medals during the city's Inaugural Exercises and Celebration on Jan. 2.

Turner, who will serve as Poet Laureate until December 2028, is a standout in the New England poetry scene. She is an organizer and participant in the independent poetry series, The Dirty Gerund Poetry Show.

Turner has also earned an Iron Poet Championship title, a gold medal in the Massachusetts Poetry Olympics, and a nomination for the city's 2025 Woman of Consequence. She founded a rotating poetry team called "The Roadshow."

Tang-Rainwater writes poems, stories, and songs, and plays multiple instruments. She said she aims to bring diversity to her work and inspire other young poets across Worcester's communities.

“I love the diversity in Worcester,” Tang-Rainwater said, according to the news release. “Hearing different perspectives and experiences has kept me deeply connected to this city.”

The city thanks previous Poet Laureate, Oliver de la Paz, and Youth Poet Laureate, Serenity Jackson, who both brought poetry to life across the community, according to the release.

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