The City of Knoxville and the Arts & Culture Alliance seek nominations for the City’s next Poet Laureate. The form is available at https://bit.ly/PoetLaureateNomForm. 

Knoxville has a long and rich literary heritage that includes Nikki Giovanni, James Agee, Cormac McCarthy and Frances Hodgson Burnett. The Poet Laureate program, created in 2016, aims to extend and build on this heritage by recognizing and supporting resident poets of exceptional talent and accomplishment.

Residents who have served as Knoxville’s Poet Laureate:

• R.B. Morris – songwriter, musician and playwright
• Marilyn Kallet – retired director of the University of Tennessee’s Creative Writing Program
• Rhea Carmon – slam poet, performer and organizer of the Southern Fried Poetry Slam being held June 7-10, 2023, in Knoxville

The Poet Laureate serves as a public voice of Knoxville, creating city-specific works and participating in literary outreach and educational programs.

Poet Laureates serve one year with an optional one-year renewal and receive a $3,000 annual honorarium.

A poet who has served may not be renominated, nor can poets self-nominate. Nominees must live within Knoxville city limits, be at least 18 years old, and have had at least one book of poetry published (or an equivalent body of work).  

Nominations are due 5 p.m. on Friday, March 31, 2023, in person or by mail at:

Arts & Culture Alliance
100 S. Gay St., Suite 201
Knoxville TN 37902

Visit KnoxvilleTN.gov/poet for details about the program, a nomination form and more about the City’s Poet Laureates and their work.