Commission for Young Poet (13-19 years)

E for Exeter: Laureate's Library Tour 2023

Exeter Library is happy to announce a fantastic opportunity for a young writer between the ages of 13-19. We will commission a single piece of work to complement the Launch of Simon Armitage’s Laureate’s Library Tour 2023 here at Exeter Library on Friday 17 March. The successful candidate will also have two 1-1 masterclass sessions with a local, Devon-based poet, to go through the work.

Theme for the Commission

The theme the poets are invited to respond to is “The Power of Words”. Words are used to inform, inspire, divide, and unite. Words can be personal, impersonal, comforting, or damaging. They can be used to change the shape of the world for good or for bad. We are looking for a poem that taps into this immense power.

The chosen young poet will perform their poem at the Launch of Simon Armitage’s Laureate’s Library Tour 2023 on Friday 17 March.

Using the alphabet as a compass, Simon’s ten-year journey celebrates the library as one of our great and necessary institutions. The Poet Laureate launched his decade-long tour in Ashby-de-la-Zouch Library with the A-B Libraries Tour in April 2021. The C-D Libraries Tour took place in March 2022. E-G will take place in 2023.

The chosen young poet will also have two 1-1 masterclass workshops with a local poet, where they will get the opportunity to discuss their work and improve their craft.

There is a fee of £150 for the chosen poet, to write a new poem that responds to the theme and give the reading itself. The poem should be 30-40 lines in length.

Who can Apply?

We are seeking applications from poets who live in or around Exeter, Devon. The poet must be between the ages of 13-19. We want to celebrate the rich diversity of our city and writers, so we want to hear from poets of all social and cultural backgrounds and identities.

Applicants do not need any experience in writing poetry but must be able to produce a written piece of work in the time available and be able to perform on the evening of Friday 17 March 2023.

How to Apply

Please email exeter.library@librariesunlimited.org.uk with your written application (a maximum of one page of A4 in a word document or PDF format) or a link to your video application.

You application must include the following:

· Your name and contact details

· Your date of birth

· A little about yourself

· An outline into how you would respond to the theme

Please email us with your application by 5pm on Sunday 15 January 2023. The successful candidate will be chosen by a selection panel of staff from Libraries Unlimited.

The successful poet will be informed by the end of Friday 20 January 2023. Once commissioned, the finished poem will have to be submitted no later than Friday 10 March 2023. The poem will be performed at the evening event, Friday 17 March 2023.

The 1-1 masterclass workshops will take place in February 2023 (dates TBC).

Simon Armitage will not be part of the selection process, or the 1-1 masterclasses.