Poet Laureate
The “people’s poet” is a position that was established by City Council in December 2006 to honour, celebrate and reflect the life of the city through poetry. The City of Victoria Poet Laureate acts as a champion for poetry, language and the arts, through public readings and civic engagements. Victoria’s Poet Laureate reflects the life of the city through a variety of civic functions, participates in public poetry events, and develops special projects which may include opportunities to collaborate and work alongside the Youth Poet Laureate.
The inaugural poet laureate Carla Funk, and subsequent poet laureates Linda Rogers, Janet Marie Rogers, Yvonne Blomer, and John Barton have each brought their unique voice to the creative expression of Victoria’s identity.
Who can apply: The City of Victoria is seeking nominations for the position of Victoria’s Poet Laureate from mid-career poets who currently reside in the Capital Region. Applicants must have an established body of work (written or spoken word).
Term: This two-year term will run from from April 2023 to April 2025.
Honorarium: The Poet Laureate will be given a $5,500 honorarium per year and up to $2,000 per year for project funding.
Youth Poet Laureate
Drawing on the expertise of a new generation of Victoria poets, the City of Victoria Youth Poet Laureate position seeks to give the community access to strong youth voices. The Youth Poet Laureate will present original work to the City of Victoria Council, produce new work and organizecommunity youth poetry events.
Created by the Victoria Youth Council in 2013, this position was the first of its kind in Canada. Reaching vulnerable youth populations and encouraging peer to peer education and inspiration, the Youth Poet Laureate will pave the way for many emerging poets and writers to engage creatively on a civic level.
Who can apply: Youth ages 14-24 are encouraged to apply and must live in the Capital Regional District, including the Gulf Islands.
Term: This two-year term will run from from April 2023 to April 2025.
Honorarium: The Youth Poet Laureate will be given a $2,000 honorarium per year and up to $2,000 per year for project funding.
Deadline for both applications:
- Submissions must be emailed to culture@victoria.ca by 4 p.m. PST on February 13, 2023.