Prince William Poet Laureate Nomination Guidelines

The Prince William County Arts Council, which represents the greater Prince William region, has established a “Laureate” program that is being administered by a special committee of the Arts Council under the leadership of June Forte, a member of Write by the Rails, the Prince William chapter of the Virginia Writers Club. The first position to be selected and filled under this program is “Prince William Poet Laureate.”

Nominations for the position are due by MAY 10, 2014.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Prince William Poet Laureate is expected to promote local residents’ awareness of poetry and heighten appreciation of the art form. The Prince William Poet Laureate should forge a meaningful connection between poetry and the community and undertake a project or series of projects that make poetry more available and accessible to people in their everyday lives. These are expected to take the form of a community outreach or educational program.

During the position’s two-year appointment, the Prince William Poet Laureate should  participate in selected public gatherings, initiate dialogue between poets and the community, inspire others in their writing and bring recognition to the history and tradition of poetry in the Greater Prince William area, which includes Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park.

The position should be filled by a poet who has contributed to Prince William’s poetic community, written poetry of merit and who advocates arts, sciences and community collaborative efforts. The candidate should be comfortable giving public presentations and engaging in public interactions.

OBJECTIVES

• Celebrate the creative past, present and future of the Prince William area and its residents.
• Inspire and encourage others in their poetry writing and other personal creative expressions.
• Promote poetry and writing through the media and collaborations with cultural organizations and community institutions.
• Represent the Prince William area in the wider Northern Virginia regional creative arts community.
• Encourage understanding and learning of poetry and writing in all age groups.
• Create new literary work that is grounded in the creative arts culture of the Prince William area.

SELECTION PROCESS

The Prince William Arts Council will appoint the Prince William Poet Laureate based on a competitive nomination process and the recommendations of the Prince William Poet Laureate Selection Panel.

POSITION TENURE AND COMPENSATION

The Prince William Poet Laureate will serve a two-year term and can be considered for reappointment for no more than one additional consecutive two-year term. The Prince William Poet Laureate will receive an annual honorarium of $500. Additional funding is available to be applied to expenses incurred in implementing the Prince William Poet Laureate’s community outreach or educational program, which must be approved by the Prince William County Arts Council.

The Prince William Arts Council may raise additional funds, through private donations, grants and other sources, to support projects and administrative expenses associated with implementing the program.

ELIGIBILITY

There should be only one nomination per person. Candidates are encouraged to nominate themselves.

The candidate must maintain residence in the Prince William area during the two-year term and have lived in the area for at least the three previous years.

To be a successful candidate for Prince William Poet Laureate, the nominee should:

• Be actively writing poetry and participating within the Prince William area’s literary community.
• Have a significant body of published work and be held in high regard by the local literary community.
• Value collaborative work and learning.
• Have access to transportation and be available to travel throughout the Prince William area. 

NOMINATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

The following must be submitted by MAY 10, 2014:

• Completed nomination form. Include the signature of the nominee and also the signature of the nominator if the nominee is not self-nominated. If the selectee is younger than 18 years old, a parent’s or guardian’s signature will also be required.
• A description of no more than one page (on 8 ½- by 11-inch paper with one-inch margins at 12 point Times New Roman, single-spaced) detailing how the nominee would contribute as Prince William Poet Laureate based on the position description and objectives of the program. IMPORTANT: The nominee’s name should not be on the description. Please use a cover page that includes the candidate’s full name.

Examples of Ways the Nominee May Choose to Contribute:

• A program that combines poetry with the sciences, other writing genres or the visual or performing arts.
• A series of poetry workshops or school or senior center poetry programs.
• A promotion of poetry in public places, such as transportation hubs, grocery stores, parks and public gatherings.
• A Prince William area-themed poetry anthology or chapbook.

  • Nominee’s literary resume. List any awards, publications, teaching positions and similar achievements.
  • Nominator’s statement (not applicable if nominee is self-nominated) and up to three additional letters or statements of support for the nominee from individuals or organizations in the Prince William community.
  • Poetry samples. These can be published or unpublished. All work submitted must be original and on no more than five typed pages at 8 ½ by 11 inches, with one poem per page. Poems can be formatted as desired. IMPORTANT: The nominee’s name should not be on the poetry samples. Please use a cover page that includes the candidate’s full name.

Nomination submission material should be collated into one packet containing the following documents in this order:

1.     The application form on top,

2.     Followed by the nominator’sstatement if the nominee is not self-nominated,

3.     The nominee’s one-page description of proposed activities,

4.     Nominee’s literary resume,

5.     Up to three additional letters or statements of support and

6.     No more than five typed pages of poetry samples.

Mail the packet to the address provided on the following page.