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Stylized graphic of the Young Poet Laureate - green and purple text on a background with a pen and quill.

For the last 8 years, Warwickshire Libraries have appointed a Young Poet Laureate each year. The competition is run by Warwickshire Libraries and supported by Poetry on Loan, an initiative supported by Arts Council England that promotes contemporary poetry throughout public libraries in the West Midlands.

Our Young Poet Laureates are appointed each year in November and for the year of their appointment they are invited to take part in a variety of opportunities from poetry commissions, to running workshops, to performances and talks.

Entries for Warwickshire’s Young Poet Laureate 2024/25 will open in June 2024 at warwickshire.gov.uk/youngpoetlaureate. For more information about the Young Poet Laureate scheme please email libraryevents@warwickshire.gov.uk.

Warwickshire Young Poet Laureate 2023/24 - May Vaughan

A congratulations picture of May - a girl with brown hair and glasses

Our ninth Warwickshire Young Poet Laureate 2023/24 is May Vaughan from Stratford Girls' Grammar School. She was appointed to the role on Saturday 4 November 2023 at a Selection Day at Rugby Library where five talented and wonderful shortlisted candidates competed for the title. 

Candidates took part in a 90 minute workshop with Coventry Poet Laureate 2021/23, Emilie Lauren Jones, who shared creative tips and advice about how to successfully deliver poetry performances.

The candidates then each took part in interviews in front of a judging panel, which consisted of delivering a poetry performance and answering a series of questions, including sharing their ideas about the Young Poet Laureate role. The day culminated in the judges selecting May as Young Poet Laureate 2023/24.

A graphic containing and image of May reciting her poetry and receiving her Young Poet Laureate award

So far during her appointment, May has performed at a poetry evening at Coleshill Library, spoken to a reading group for young people at Warwick Library and been commissioned to write a poem to celebrate the launch of our new electric mobile libraries.

May has a very busy year ahead and will be performing her poetry at:

Previous Young Poet Laureates

Last year’s Young Poet Laureate was the incredibly talented Emily Hunt.

During Emily’s Young Poet Laureateship, she performed at poetry events throughout Warwickshire including Careers with Words at Leamington Library and a poetry evening at Coleshill Library as well as being commissioned to write and perform a poem at Shout Out for the Arts Careers Fair.

Emily has also shared her poetry reading recommendations via the Warwickshire Libraries Blog and received mentorship from poet Brenda Read-Brown. Keep your eyes peeled as we know that Emily has a bright future ahead of her!

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Support for young writers

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