Poet Laureate
of Hillsborough, North Carolina

A poet laureate is a citizen-poet usually appointed by a government with the purpose of composing poems for performances at special events. The tradition has roots in the ancient Greek and Roman practice of honoring accomplished poets with laurel wreaths. While a notoriously hard-to-define title, a poet laureate can be thought of as representing a community’s artistic heart and soul.  Notable for its longevity, the British Poet Laureate title dates back to 1616 with poet Ben Jonson. Recognizing his services to the crown, King James I provided Jonson with a pension and an annual barrel of sherry. After Jonson’s death in 1637, another poet began to receive payment for similar duties. In 1668, the laureateship was established as an official royal office. At the role’s inception, the laureate’s main duties included writing birthday and New Year’s odes performed alongside music for the king or queen. During the mid-nineteenth century, the position’s duties shifted slightly to writing poems for royal and national occasions and celebrations.  In the United States, the office that would eventually become the Poet Laureate was created in 1936 under the name of “Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress.” Appointed by the Library of Congress, Consultants in Poetry performed duties similar to those of a reference librarian, serving as a collection specialist and resident scholar in poetry and literature. In 1985, the title was renamed to “Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry.” With this change, the position gained more prominence, and poets laureate began to develop programming, such as local poetry readings, lectures, conferences, and outreach programs. Holders of either title (consultant or laureate) include Robert Frost, James Dickey, and Robert Penn Warren. The current Poet Laureate of the United States is Ada Limón who has served since 2022.  Another notable poet laureate title in the United States is the National Youth Poet Laureate, which celebrates and honors poets aged thirteen to nineteen committed to civic engagement and social impact. This program is supported by several federal entities, including the National Endowment for the Arts, the Library of Congress, and the Kennedy Center. Perhaps the most famous National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman, was the inaugural laureate in 2017. She later performed her poem – “The Hill We Climb” – at the inauguration of President Joe Biden in 2021. Locally, Jaki Shelton Green has served as the North Carolina Poet Laureate since 2018, and many state municipalities, such as Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Durham, and now Hillsborough, appoint their own poets laureate. Funding for these programs usually comes from the city or town. For example, the funding for the Hillsborough Poet Laureate stipend is provided by the Town of Hillsborough. Outside the United States and United Kingdom, over a dozen national governments appoint poets laureate with many other communities having similar positions rooted in local traditions and customs, such as the Xhosa imbongi or praise poet in South Africa.