Search begins for Stoke-on-Trent's new Poet Laureates

The competition, organised by Stoke-on-Trent City Council, will find the next Poet Laureate and, for the first time, a Young Poet Laureate. Both roles will play a key part in celebrating the city’s 100th anniversary year and shining a light on its creativity and culture.  

The city is celebrating its centenary year throughout 2025 and the newly launched Poet Laureate competition will be an integral part of helping the city to celebrate Stoke-on-Trent’s culture and creativity.   

The successful candidates will follow in the footsteps of local poet Nick Degg, who was named Centenary Poet Laureate in October 2024. Nick will continue to create poems marking Stoke-on-Trent’s Centenary throughout 2025, capturing the pride, history, and spirit of the city and its people.   

The competition will find creative poets with the skills to celebrate Stoke-on-Trent in verse.   

The Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, Councillor Lyn Sharpe said: “Our centenary year is an opportunity to celebrate the part literature has played in our city’s history and continues to play into the future.  

“Nick Degg is showing us the power of poetry. He’s helping us remember this centenary year through his new poems that will be enjoyed for years to come.  

“We created the new Junior role to give a young poet the chance to learn the ropes from Nick. It’s a fantastic springboard for a young poet to have, to learn from a much-loved and incredibly talented poet and who knows, maybe become our city’s Laureate one day.”  

Nick Degg said: “It’s great to know that the council and its libraries are supporting and promoting the Poet Laureateship. It’s vital for aspiring poets to know that they will be given a platform to explore way beyond their normal circles. 

“To have organisations, arts foundations and the like inviting you to be involved in projects and commissions is a wonderful way of expanding not just your writing skills, but to open doors you didn’t even know were there.

"Poetry is a magical art-form, and the more people we can reach with our passion and enthusiasm can only be good for its future as a vibrant and important strand of literature." 

Potential candidates for the Poet Laureate role must be over 18 while applicants for the new Young Poet Laureate role must be aged 14-18. The competition is open to anyone who lives in Stoke-on-Trent.   

Applications are now open and the deadline to apply is Saturday 16 August 2025.   

Judging will take place on 20 September; with them both being named on Thursday 2 October to coincide with National Poetry Day.  

To apply for one of Stoke-on-Trent's Poet Laureate positions potential candidates can find out more at www.stoke.gov.uk/poetlaureate   

The Young Poet Laureate role will start on 1 November 2025 and the Poet Laureate will start in May 2026.  

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is urging all residents to get involved in the Centenary and plan their own events for 2025. For more about how to get involved visit: www.sot100.org.uk.