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Submit an application as a poet with substantial publications and recognition to serve a four-year term as the City of Orlando's official Poet Laureate, promoting poetry and literary arts in the community.
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Get matched →The City of Orlando seeks its Third Poet Laureate to serve as the city's official storyteller, promoting poetry and literary arts among the general public and inspiring emerging writers and readers. The Poet Laureate will serve as an ambassador for Orlando and greater Central Florida, fostering public appreciation of and participation in poetry and literary arts.
The Poet Laureate will receive an annual honorarium of $4,000 for up to a four-year term, plus reimbursement for approved related expenses. The annual stipend honors the Poet's achievements and helps defray expenses not reimbursed by individual organizations. The Poet Laureate may accept honoraria or remuneration from host organizations during their term with the City's prior approval and reserves the right to any compensation from their poetry during their term. However, the City of Orlando may publish and/or distribute such poetry without charge to the city, except for covering costs.
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The Poet Laureate Search Committee, comprising poets, scholars, and literary experts from the University of Central Florida, Valencia College, Rollins College, Seminole State College, Orange County Library System, Burrow Press, Florida Humanities Council, and accomplished local poets, will review all eligible applications scored on a 30-point scale: up to 20 points for artistic merit of work samples and up to 10 points for experience and background. The three finalists with committee rankings will be forwarded to Mayor Dyer for final selection. Finalists will be interviewed in August 2025 (in person or via Zoom). The Mayor will announce the selection in October 2025.
The Poet Laureate serves at the pleasure of the Mayor, is appointed for a term of one year with annual renewals by the Mayor for a total of up to four years (October 2025 – October 2029) based on the City of Orlando's evaluation. The Poet Laureate must sign a Letter of Agreement with the City specifying terms.