Help nominate San Francisco's next poet laureate by July 31, 2020

Since 1998 San Francisco has long honored its deep literary traditions by naming a city poet laureate, and now the search for   the next poet laureate is on.

• The next poet laureate will succeed poet Kim Shuck, who has served and honored the role since 2017.
  

• This summer, the City’s poet laureate selection committee has opened the process to solicit nominations for the city’s eighth poet laureate.

 

• The next poet will join an illustrious list of past San Francisco poets laureate who include Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Janice Mirikitani, devorah major, Jack Hirschman, Diane di Prima and Alejandro Murguía.

Nominate your top choice now at sfpl.org/poetlaureate.
The deadline to submit is July 31, 2020.

As the city’s first poet laureate, Lawrence Ferlinghetti said, “The center of literate culture in cities has always centered in the great libraries.”

• Poet Laureate nominees must be San Francisco residents, have a substantial body of published work, including at least one full-length book, plus professional digital recordings of performances or 20 or more published poems in established publications, print or online, over the past five years.
  

• Poet Laureate Chronology (PDF)
  
• 2020 Poet Laureate Selection Committee
• Press Release: Call for Nominations for San Francisco Poet Laureate

Questions? Contact SFPL Public Affairs at publicaffairs@sfpl.org