The Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture, in partnership with the city of Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara Public Library, is accepting applications for the next Santa Barbara Poet Laureate.

The selected individual will receive an honorarium of $2,000 to serve from 2025-27 and support the city through participation in ceremonial, educational and cultural activities.

Poet laureates are inducted during the city’s National Poetry Month in April and serve for a two-year term.

Applicants must be published authors who live in Santa Barbara and have a history of local community engagement.

Additional review criteria include prior honors and recognition, excellent public speaking skills, and a commitment to producing events that make poetry more available to local residents.

Applications will be accepted until Feb. 14 at sbac.ca.gov/poet-laureate.
 
Santa Barbara established the Poet Laureate Program in 2005 to expand the presence and accessibility of the literary arts to local communities.

In 2016, the Santa Barbara Public Library became the official home of the poet laureate and a major programmatic collaborator. The poet laureate is considered an important community ambassador.

“We’re proud of the program’s significant community impact,” said Brandon Beaudette, Santa Barbara Public Library acting director.

Melinda Palacio, the current Santa Barbara poet laureate, will conclude her term in March. An internationally lauded poet, author and speaker, Palacio is Santa Barbara’s first Chicana poet laureate.

Her collection “How Fire Is a Story, Waiting” received first prize in poetry at the International Latino Book Awards.
 
Previous poets laureate include Emma Trelles, Laure-Anne Bosselaar, Enid Osborn, Sojourner Kincaid Rolle, Chryss Yost, Paul Willis, David Starkey, Perie Longo and Barry Spacks.