Stamford is welcoming a new Poet Laureate for the town, with Caroline Avnit accepting the honour after a public contest to choose the winner.
Jasper Cairns was named Stamford Youth Laureate at the event at Stamford Arts Centre, which attracted a record crowd, showing the importance of the local poetry scene.
Stamford Laureate Caroline has been a poet since childhood, and will now embark on a range of performances, commissions and civic events during her year in office.
She said: “I feel so grateful to have been chosen as the Poet Laureate of Stamford.
“I absolutely love our beautiful town and am passionate about promoting it. I feel it is a privilege to continue the work that has been done by previous Poet Laureates, in putting Stamford on the map as a poetry destination, along with encouraging both the writing and appreciation of poetry in our town.
“I especially look forward to collaborating with local businesses and involving the community in more activities connected to poetry.”
Caroline has a background in psychology and religious studies, and has always been interested in writing about relationships, nature, the beauty found in the simplest moments of human connection and our relationship to the world around us.
The finalists took part in a live reading before a panel of judges as part of the annual Verse Festival, and the Laureate runner-up on the night was Emmy Jenkins.
New Youth Laureate Jasper Cairns said: “I’m very excited to be Stamford’s new Youth Poet Laureate and am eager to start writing as soon as possible! I think poetry is important now more than ever, so I can’t wait to share what I can offer with Stamford’s poetry scene.”
Both Caroline and Jasper will work closely with Stamford Arts Centre and Stamford Town Hall to support the popular local poetry scene.
The SKDC-run Arts Centre proactively supports poets across the District with poetry and spoken word events.
Next up are:
LYR: 14th June, Stamford Ballroom. LYR are Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, singer-songwriter Richard Walters, and multi-instrumentalist/producer Patrick James Pearson.
HARRY BAKER: WONDERFUL: 20th June, Stamford Theatre. World Poetry Slam Champion Harry Baker is back with a brand new show celebrating the wonder that is being alive.
Future poetry events – and all shows, workshops and screenings at the Stamford Arts Centre – can be found online http://www.stamfordartscentre.com/whats-on/stamford-poetry-events
