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About the Role

The Los Angeles Poet Laureate serves as a creative leader and cultural ambassador, and champions the civic importance of literature, poetry, and the spoken word. This role calls for a visionary storyteller who can reveal the world as it is, imagine what it could be, and inspire emerging writers, thinkers, and young people to find their own creative voices. As Poet Laureate, you will help cultivate a thriving literary culture across L.A. You will engage communities through public poetry events designed to include Angelenos who have limited access to poetry or expressive writing. Your work will bring poetry into neighborhoods across the city, ensuring all residents can experience its power to connect, uplift, and transform. If you are ready to use language with courage, clarity, compassion, and hope, we invite you to step forward and become that voice.

Program Background

The Honorable Karen Bass, Mayor of the City of Los Angeles, is pleased to announce the continuation of the City of Los Angeles Poet Laureate program, which is a collaboration between the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) and the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA). Just as the National Poet Laureate works from within the Library of Congress, the City of Los Angeles Poet Laureate will work from within the Los Angeles Public Library system, guided by a service contract.

Since 2012, the Los Angeles Poet Laureate has both represented the City and engaged the community using poetry and literature, including esteemed previous Poet Laureates Eloise Klein Healy, Luis Rodriguez, Robin Coste Lewis, and Lynne Thompson. The role of Poet Laureate is connected to LAPL’s and DCA’s program to celebrate National Poetry Month in April.

Program Goals and Objectives

The City seeks to name one Poet Laureate to serve as an official ambassador of LA’s vibrant creative scene, promote the City’s rich literary community, and celebrate the written word.

The shared objectives of the Poet Laureate position with National Poetry Month are to:

• Raise awareness of the civic importance of literature, poetry, and the spoken word;
• Inspire an emerging generation of critical thinkers, writers, storytellers, and literary artists; and
• Bring poetry activities and/or events to people in Los Angeles who may have limited access to poetry or few opportunities for exposure to expressive writing.

The next City of Los Angeles Poet Laureate will be selected through an open-call process. Direct proposals are encouraged from master writers with 10 or more years of published works (not including years as a student). Proposals will be reviewed through a panel process, and finalists will be selected for interviews in early 2026 . Subsequently, the contracting process will occur in January 2026, and the Poet Laureate will be announced in March (with an anticipated term of March 1, 2026 - February 28, 2027).

Review Process

The Application Review Committee will consist of five (5) persons with combined knowledge of: creative writing, LA culture, and regional poetry history. Two panelists will be selected by DCA, two will be selected by LAPL, and one will be selected collectively by both departments.

The guiding principles for the program are as follows:

1. The application process will be open with stated eligibility criteria and performance expectations that engender inclusiveness, transparency, and fairness;
2. Applicants for the contract position of Poet Laureate should reside in Los Angeles County and demonstrate either a residential or professional relationship to the City of Los Angeles through venues/presentations named on their resume;
3. The LAPL will coordinate a two-stage review process:
• In stage one, open submissions will be reviewed. Applicants are asked to submit (electronically via this website ): a 7-10 sentence biography, four recent poems (from the past three years, not including time as a student), a full resume, and a short narrative of no more than 2 pages describing how they would fulfill the position (addressing the Scope of Work below); and,
• In the second stage, finalists will be interviewed by the Mayor and/or her designee(s), and the selected Poet Laureate will be announced at the conclusion of the selection process.

Poet Laureate Honorarium

The Los Angeles Poet Laureate will be contracted by LAPL and receive a $10,000.00 fee. This honorarium will be made in payments based on benchmarks established in the contract.

The LAPL and DCA retain the right to suspend this program between cycles for financial or other reasons.

Standard Eligibility Criteria

Finalists for the position of Los Angeles Poet Laureate must be able to demonstrate via their professional resume:

• A residential address within Los Angeles County and a live/work relationship to the City of Los Angeles; and,
• Ten years of experience (not including years as a student) in creating poetry, with a demonstrated record of being included and/or invited to present works within poetry journals, magazines, websites, and/or programs that are not predominantly self-curated, personal websites, or personal blogs.

Scope of Work

The City of Los Angeles Poet Laureate is appointed by the Mayor and works with DCA and the LAPL to carry out his/her/their duties. Each year, the Poet Laureate shall:

• Provide at least twelve (12) official Poet Laureate activities in locations across the city, no less than six (6) public classes or workshops at various LAPL branches as well as six (6) public readings of: 1) original works created for these events, 2) past work appropriate to the occasion and audience, and/or 3) historic works by past or living Los Angeles poets. In addition to these officially requested activities, the City may request approximately three (3) more recommended activities in schools, universities, conferences, or private gatherings wherein audiences may be limited to enrolled members or invited guests;
• Engage with Los Angeles residents, visitors, civic and elected leaders, young people, adults, seniors, and students of all ages about the value of poetry, the written word, and creative expression through self-coordinated or community-partnered activities that are reviewed and approved by LAPL;
• Submit content for one (1) poetry blog on the LAPL website to be updated on at least a quarterly basis. The purpose of the blog is to excite discussion, exchange, and participation in poetry, as well as educate readers about the culture of the written and spoken word in Los Angeles;
• Use social media as often as possible, or work with City staff to prepare social media communications that encourage excitement about poetry, literacy and literary events, and related issues; and,
• Write one (1) or more commemorative poem(s) each year related to a theme or topic integral to Los Angeles. Use the premiere of this/these poem(s) as a way to announce an open-call to all regional poets (emerging and masters, living or working in LA City) to submit poems for placement on sidewalks, streetlights, or related design-sites.

Review Criteria

All first-round submissions will be reviewed and scored on the following two criteria:

• 70 Points – Ability for the panel to assess the candidate’s prior experiences on her/his/their resume and/or website or other means; and,
• 30 Points – The quality of poetry samples in relation to the excellent talent pool and multicultural nature of LA.

Submission Materials

Each applicant should prepare to provide the following information on no more than three (3) pages:

1. An application cover page of personal contact information, including:
• Full name of applicant
• Professional name (if different)
• Residence address (must be within the County of Los Angeles)
• Primary work address (optional, but may be used to demonstrate connection to the City of LA)
• Contact phone number
• Contact email address
• Website address (optional)
• Biography (7-10 sentences)
2. Four PDF copies or weblinks to demonstrate four (4) published poems or four (4) performed poems, originated during the past three (3) years
3. Professional resume submitted as a PDF or weblink, customized so that the review panel can easily isolate: years of experience (10 or more) as well as the relationship to the City of LA (either residential by home or work address, or professional through past performances).
4. Brief narrative (1-2 pages) addressing how the candidate would approach fulfilling the Scope of Work.
5. Signed Certification Statement: “I certify that the information contained in this nomination/ application form, including all attachments and supporting materials, is true and correct. If the contract is awarded to my nominee/myself, it is understood that the selected Poet Laureate would be financially, administratively, and programmatically responsible for all aspects of the services including proper documentation, invoicing, and reporting. Furthermore, I acknowledge that the City of Los Angeles maintains the right to cancel this program opportunity for any reason prior to selecting a candidate.”

Instructions for Submitting an Application

• Applications must be received online by 8:00 a.m. on Monday, January 12, 2026.
• Applications and related questions should be addressed to Claudia Aguilar at claudia.aguilar@lapl.org.

Apply Today

This is an invitation to serve as a creative leader and cultural ambassador, to listen deeply, speak with heart, and uplift the common good. As Los Angeles Poet Laureate, you will have the opportunity to touch lives and illuminate the experiences that bind us together. If you're ready to share your voice in ways that nurture hope, spark understanding, and inspire meaningful action across our communities, we welcome you to step forward and help shape a future where every voice can be heard.

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• Questions? Please contact claudia.aguilar@lapl.org
• Back to Los Angeles Poet Laureate page

The Los Angeles Poet Laureate program is a partnership between Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) and the City of L.A. Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA)