Who will be the next Laureate for Stamford?
The competition to appoint the 2026 Stamford Poet Laureate is set to open next month.
The annual search, organised by Stamford Arts Centre, was first held in 2012. The post requires the winning poet to compose verse for a number of civic occasions, starting with the inauguration of the next mayor of the town.
The competition is open to anyone 16 years or over, poems can be on any theme, and must not take longer than four minutes to perform.
Finalists will also need to supply a short plan of what they would like to do during their year as Stamford Poet Laureate. Entries will be accepted from April 1 and the closing date is Monday 20 April at 12 noon. Entries will need to be posted to Stamford Art Centre, PE9 2HL, or emailed to [email protected]
Previous holders of the post of Stamford Poet Laureate have gone on to release collections; including Bill Taylor (2014 to 2015), Rebecca Westwood (2015 to 2016), Eden Dickens (2023 to 2024), and Caroline Avnit (2024 to 2025).
The current Stamford Poet Laureate, Ross Ayres, has had a packed year during which he not only produced work for civic events but also helped run a regular poetry open mic night at the Wishing Well in Dyke, near Bourne.
The final of the competition to find the next Stamford Poet Laureate will be held on Wednesday 29 April at Stamford Arts Centre and will be one of the first events for the 2026 Verse Festival.
Other festival events across the weekend include appearances by John Hegley, Roger McGough, and Luke Wright.
Full festival details at www.stamfordartscentre.com