BATON ROUGE, LA — April 11, 2019 — Today, Mayor President Sharon Weston Broome announced the launch of a talent search for the city’s first poet laureate. The search will be conducted through the Baton Rouge Poet Laureate Program (BRPLP), which celebrates Baton Rouge’s rich culture and diversity through the work of a poet who will represent Baton Rouge by creating excitement about poetry through outreach, programs, teaching, and written work.

The title is open to those with a passion for poetry, strong ties to Baton Rouge, and an interest in serving the city. The poet would be charged with developing a community outreach project in which he or she shares the art and love of poetry with a non-traditional and/or underserved audience.

“We are searching for a deeply talented individual with an infectious love for poetry and the City of Baton Rouge,” said Mayor Broome. “The Poet Laureate is more than just a poet; this is someone who can connect with the community and show residents that Baton Rouge is a hub for free expression and art of all kinds.”

Mayor Broome has appointed a Baton Rouge Poet Laureate Selection Committee, a group of acknowledged and diverse poets, scholars, and literary experts, to assist in the nomination and selection process. The group is co-chaired by a representative of the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge and a representative of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, both of whom will be non-voting members of the committee.

The term of service is one year. An Honorarium accompanies the appointment. The current term will commence in May 2019 and expire in June 2020. Poets interested in applying may download the application at https://www.artsbr.org/community-engagement.

The Poet Laureate will be announced at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 7, at the Main Library.