Montgomery County Poets Laureate
The Annual Montgomery Poet Laureate Competition is the foundation upon which the MCPL Program was built. The competition is the ultimate expression of the program’s mission; creating an ever expanding community of poets, supporting their work and providing opportunities for poets to elevate their visibility while also benefiting the community with their service project, many of which continue long beyond their tenure.
How does the competition work?
Each year MCPL recruits a celebrity poet with a national reputation, who along with two additional local Delaware Valley poets, adjudicate the submitted manuscripts.
The newly selected Montgomery County Poet Laureate is honored with an award in the amount of $500 along with a personalized statement about their work, which is shared through MCPL and other local organizations.
The Award is presented during an Award Ceremony and Reading, open to the public and attended by the celebrity judge and previous poets laureate to read with and welcome the newest member of their esteemed ranks.
Who can compete?
Poets of all ages and backgrounds are encouraged to submit their poetry for review and adjudication in the annual competition. Poets must also be residents of Montgomery County. The window for submissions generally opens in early December and closes mid-February with the winner to be announced at the end of March.
The role of the Poet Laureate
The Poet Laureate functions as an ambassador for poetry in Montgomery County from April 1 of the year of his/her naming to March 31st of the following year. This role includes working with MCPL’s Executive Director, Joanne Leva, to develop a schedule of readings, workshops
Appearances may include the Forgotten Voices Poetry Group, Farley’s Bookshop First Thursday Poetry Reading Series, and the annual Caesura Poetry Festival. They may also hold the office of “
Announcement of the 2024 MCYPL Finalists
On March 25th, the five finalists for the 2024 Montgomery County Youth Poet Laureate were announced! Congratulations to Emi Maeda of The Baldwin School, Maya Brothers of Friends’ Central School, Samrithaa H.V. of Methacton Senior High School, Sofia Bagarazzi of Friends’ Central School, and Sophia Hall of the University of Pennsylvania on this outstanding accomplishment. Each of these writers was hand-picked by the MCYPL Program and sent to the final judge, Michelle Taransky, a creative writing professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Michelle will make the final decision on who will be named the 2024 Montco Youth Poet Laureate, along with the runner-up.
The finalists will have the unique opportunity to showcase their talent at the 2024 Montgomery County Youth Poet Laureate Finalists Reading on April 2nd. Taking place at the prestigious and historical Parkway Central Library in Philadelphia and in partnership with The Moonstone Center and the Free Library of Philadelphia, this performance opportunity is a testament to their exceptional writing skills and a moment of great honor for them.
All five of these talented and fascinating young writers have worked hard to reach this stage in their writing careers, and we wish them all the luck in the world with their future endeavors!
Thank you to everyone for their participation and support of this event. We look forward to announcing who will win the 2024 MCYPL award!
For more information on this exciting event and each writer’s individual talents, visit the MCYPL posts on Instagram, @montcoypl.
To help support the young scholars of our future, we welcome and greatly appreciate donations of any amount. By doing so, you can help encourage the growth and enthusiasm of future poets!
Announcement of the 2024 MCYPL Finalists
On March 25th, the five finalists for the 2024 Montgomery County Youth Poet Laureate were announced! Congratulations to Emi Maeda of The Baldwin School, Maya Brothers of Friends’ Central School, Samrithaa H.V. of Methacton Senior High School, Sofia Bagarazzi of Friends’ Central School, and Sophia Hall of the University of Pennsylvania on this outstanding accomplishment.
Poets Laureate
