The Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture has announced that applications are now open for the city’s next Poet Laureate. This important role involves representing the community through participation in educational, ceremonial, and cultural activities.
The Poet Laureate program, which began in 2005, aims to increase the visibility and accessibility of the literary arts within local communities. To apply, candidates must be published authors who live in Santa Barbara and have a history of community engagement, among other qualifications.
Melinda Palacio, the city’s current Poet Laureate, will complete her term in March 2025. Palacio made history as Santa Barbara’s first Chicana Poet Laureate.
The new Poet Laureate will serve a two-year term from 2025 to 2027 and will receive an honorarium of $2,000. The position is formally inducted during National Poetry Month in April.
Past Poets Laureate include Emma Trelles, Laure-Anne Bosselaar, Enid Osborn, Sojourner Kincaid Rolle, Chryss Yost, Paul Willis, David Starkey, Perie Longo, and Barry Spacks.
