The “Amesbury Poet Laureate” is a two-year appointment with a possible two-year extension, overseen by the Amesbury Cultural Council. The post will carry a stipend of $1500 per year.  The Poet Laureate is required to attend the scheduled monthly meetings of the Poet Laureate Support Committee and to have regular communication with the Amesbury Cultural Council.

The position is open to Amesbury residents as well as applicants who have close ties to Amesbury but live in a surrounding town.  Selection is based on:

• body of work, including published work;

• ability to engage students, residents, and the business community;

• organizational skills; and

• specific plans to promote poets and poetry in Amesbury.

The appointment will begin in January 2026 with the expectation that the Poet Laureate will demonstrate substantial progress toward the goals of the position by April 2026, manifested in the events of the annual National Poetry Month Celebration.

Care will be taken to be transparent in the selection process and to ensure that the person selected does not view the appointment solely as an honorary title.

These goals are guidelines for the Poet Laureate position, but the individual can choose how they want to carry out these guidelines.

April Poetry Month – the Poet Laureate should provide events and/or activities to celebrate National Poetry Month in Amesbury.  They will have the support of the Amesbury Cultural Council in collaboration with the John Greenleaf Whittier Home and the Amesbury Public Library in the promotion of these events and activities.  This may include judging local poetry contests, specialized readings, or workshops.

Regular events/readings – the Poet Laureate should establish a series of regular public poetry events/readings throughout the year in Amesbury, possibly with one or more featured poets and an open mic.

Collaborate with existing Amesbury organizations involved in literature and art  – this would include the Amesbury Cultural Council, the John Greenleaf Whittier Home, and the Amesbury Public Library and may also include businesses, schools, or other organization such as the Rotary Club. The Poet Laureate is required to attend the scheduled monthly meetings of the Poet Laureate Support Committee and is encouraged to have regular communication with the Amesbury Cultural Council as these connections provide valuable support to the initiatives and events planned by the Poet Laureate.

Bring poetry into the cultural and civic life of Amesbury – the Poet Laureate should be willing to participate in civic and cultural events, such as the annual Amesbury Days, the Open Studio Tours, the Juneteenth commemoration or the Pride celebration. The former Poets Laureate have read poetry for the mayor's inauguration, the Memorial Day celebration, September 11th ceremony, and at art events in Amesbury.

Be willing to promote Poet Laureate activities – through various media to keep the public aware of poetry and poetry activities in Amesbury. This includes maintaining the Poet Laureate Facebook page and collaborating with the Amesbury Cultural Council communications team.

Interested applicants should submit the following:

1.  A “Poet’s Statement” of no more than 500 words describing their vision for the responsibilities of the Poet Laureate position.

2. A resume of relevant experiences including but not limited to publications, readings and awards.

3. Six original poems. published or unpublished. One of these poems may be submitted in audio or video format.

Applications will be accepted from September 15 through October 31, 2025.

Please send your application to amesburycc.PoetLaureate@gmail.com as an email attachment or mail your application to:

Amesbury Cultural Council

Poet Laureate Support Committee

Amesbury City Hall

62 Friend Street

Amesbury, MA  01913-2825

Questions:

Any questions about the application or the selection process can be directed to the Poet Laureate Support Committee Chairs at amesburycc.PoetLaureate@gmail.com.