Poet Laureate Community Projects
Poet Laureate Community Projects, established in 2021 by a group of former Bucks County Poets Laureate, is working to expand writing opportunities for all writers and collaborative artists in Bucks County and the greater Philadelphia region. Since Fall 2022, we have sponsored numerous creative writing workshops facilitated by established authors and open to writers of all levels of experience, as well as Open Mic opportunities for BCCC students, staff, and faculty. Future workshops, events, and opportunities are always in the works!
The Bucks County Poet Laureate Contest, the first of its kind in Pennsylvania, was created in 1977 by the Bucks County Council on the Arts. In 1986, Bucks County Community College assumed sponsorship of the contest, in which all residents 18 years and older are eligible to submit original poems. The annual award, judged on merit by a writer from outside the county, has been recognized for its integrity and excellence.
A list of former Bucks County Poets Laureate can be found here.
More of our History:
In 1988, Stan Heim, then director of the Poet Laureate Contest, initiated the High School Poet Laureate Contest. Both contests continue today and are a vital part of the College’s support for poetry. In addition to a monetary award, each Laureate is hosted at a reception and a reading.
Over the past four decades, poetry of the Poets Laureate has been collected into three anthologies: Where Our Voices Lie, Hands Offering Bread, and Making Our Own Light. The Poet Laureate Program has continued to thrive under the leadership of poets Allen Hoey, Christopher Bursk, Charlie Groth, Robert Bense and under the current director, poet and professor, Ethel Rackin.
2019 Poet Laureate, Mary Jo LoBello Jerome, conceptualized and oversaw the creation of Fire Up the Poems, a handbook of writing prompts for teachers and students, provided free of charge to all teachers in Bucks County. Most recently, Tom Mallouk, 2022 Poet Laureate, secured a one-year grant to curate a weekly poem published in The Bucks County Herald newspaper. All Bucks County residents interested in submitting their poems are eligible.