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 “
2005 Poet Laureate – Sean Webb
Poet Laureate 2005
SEAN WEBB
Before moving to Philadelphia Sean Webb was a lifelong westerner having lived in Washington, Arizona, Iowa, New Mexico, and Utah. Along the way he worked over 30 widely divergent jobs that often find their way into his poetry. He currently works as a medical writer. He has an MFA from the University of Iowa Writers Workshop and has been recipient of numerous honors and awards including a Poetry Fellowships from The Arizona Commission on the Arts and the Utah Arts Council. In 2004 and 2009 he was awarded first place in poetry in the Philadelphia City Paper Annual Writing Contest. His work has appeared in dozens of publications including The North American Review, The Quarterly, Nimrod, Prairie Schooner, West Branch, The Seattle Review, The Greensboro Review, The Cumberland Poetry Review, Poet Lore, Mudfish and the anthology Poems of Frances and Clare. He has work forthcoming in Schuylkill Valley Journal. Mister Webb has three lovely daughters and a young grandson; he currently lives in Germantown.
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Poets Laureate
