An Oakland resident will be named the city’s poet laureate in a new program that will begin accepting nominations next week.
The winner will receive $5,000 to be the city’s poet laureate for a two-year term. During this term, the poet laureate will give an inaugural address, do four public readings, collaborate with the Oakland youth poet laureate on a reading series and write a poem about Oakland.
Nominations will be accepted starting Monday with a deadline of May 19.
The Oakland Poet Laureate Program, launched by the city’s Cultural Affairs Division, is meant to increase the accessibility and understanding of poetry across the city.
“The new Poet Laureate Program will harness the power of storytelling through poetry,” said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. “The Poet Laureate will help bring recognition of Oakland as a nexus of cutting-edge creativity to the national stage.”
The nominees must be Oakland residents who have lived in the city for at least five years, be 18 or older, have at least two works published and have a record of community service.
More information about the program can be found on the city’s website.