So you’re a poet or an aspiring one?
You’re a writer or spoken word performer?
Or, you’ve just seen a post on social media… Submissions to be the next Poet Laureate of…

Now this could be a few places, or the role could be called Bard or City Poet. To keep things simple, both as they are all local to me, and the competition for each one is (as at the time of writing this) coming up, I’m going to include brief details and entry links below for the 2025 Laureateships of Peterborough, Fenland and Stamford.

What is a Laureate/Bard/City Poet?
Usually an short term unpaid (although some paid commissions are sometimes available during) poetry/spoken word position, appointed by a local civic or cultural organisation. Appointmented either by committee or competition.
Depending on the location/organisation, these last usually 1 or 2 years. Duties will also vary between each location’s appointive, but typically writing/performing at local events both as a cultural contribution, but also in reflection and/or a way of recording the moment. It’s also an opportunity to grow and encourage involvement in the local poetry community, I always feel that the Laureate is a figurehead, the Laureateship itself is all of the local poetry community.

Why become a Laureate?
It’s an opportunity, not only to grow as a writer and performer, but also to both represent, and contribute to, the local community and culture. If you love poetry, then why not have a bigger involvement in what you love?

My own story…
I was humbled and honoured to be the Stamford Poet Laureate in 2022, it was my chance to represent both the local poetry community and the local community as a whole. I wrote and performed poems for various civic events, such as the mayor’s inauguration, Remembrance Sunday, Holocaust Memorial Day, the town’s Christmas lights switch on and the opening of the Mid Lent Fair.
Normally I write from the heart and in the moment, so I knew the challenge for me, was to be be commissioned to write for a subject/event and work my way into the subject. Was it a challenge? Yes, but it’s something that pushed me to grow as a writer. So as well as putting something into the local community and culture, it was an opportunity to develop myself.
Early on and inspired by the mayoral tradition of adopting a charity, or charities for their time in office, I added this to my own remit and started working with two local charities… MindSpace Stamford, and the Stamford Diversity Group, and I have continued my association with both, being involved with various events for Stamford Diversity Group, as well as running free, monthly, fun writing sessions called ‘Playing With Words’
So for me (like others awarded Laureate roles), it was the start of something, or the next step in a journey.

So you’ve read this far and want to have a go…

Details and links below for the 2025 Laureate competitions for Peterborough, Fenland and Stamford.
Have a read of all the information (rules/guidelines/criteria) on their sites and downloads to find out more.
(If you’ve stumbled across this article from elsewhere in the UK, then there’s a list at the bottom of this article, with links to other localities positions).

Good luck!

Peterborough.
Submissions: Open to midnight 30th December 2024
Theme: ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’
Date of competition final: TBC in January 2025
Location: TBC
Run by: Syntax Poetry collective

For more information, rules, criteria and how to enter, visit the Syntax Poetry collective website

Fenland.
Submissions: Open until to midnight 31st January 2025
Theme: ‘Entries should reference Fenland in some way, either subtly through imagery or more directly about life in Fenland, for example’
Date of award ceremony: TBC in March 2025
Location: TBC
Run by: Elisabeth Sennitt Clough and Fenland District Council
The competition is open to anyone who lives, works or is educated within the Cambridgeshire district of Fenland.

For more information, rules, criteria and how to enter, visit the Fenland Poet Laureate page on Fenland District Council’s website

Stamford.
Submissions: From 1st March to midday 18th April 2025
Theme: No set theme
Date of competition final: Wednesday 30th April at 7:30pm
Location: Stamford Arts Centre, 27 St Mary’s Street, PE9 2DL (w3w = ///fame.slowly.surely)
Run by: Stamford Arts Centre, Stamford Town Council and South Kesteven District Council
Open to anyone 16 or over.

For more information, rules, criteria and how to enter, visit the poetry events section of Stamford Arts Centre website

Here’s some more links to various local Laureate/Bard competition/roles across the UK…

Aylesbury (Bard)
Birmingham (Laureate)
Bristol (City Poet)
Coventry (Laureate)
Dorchester (Bard)
Exeter (Bard)
Fenland (Laureate)
Hampshire (Laureate)
Lambeth (Laureate)
Lancashire (Laureate)
Northampton (Bard)
Peterborough (Laureate)
Plymouth (Laureate of words)
Sleaford (Laureate)
Staffordshire (Laureate)
Stamford (Laureate)
Stoke-on-Trent (Laureate)
Stony Stratford (Bard)
Worcestershire (Laureate)
Yorkshire East Ridings (Laureate)

If you know of any others I’ve missed, let me know (plus links and I’ll be happy to add to the list).

Image credits: Syntax Poetry collective, Fenland District Council, Stamford Arts Centre, Stamford Poetry & Scott Coe.