Events & Workshops

The Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild is seeking a new Saskatchewan Poet Laureate for a two-year term (August 1, 2026 – July 31, 2028).

Both the Saskatchewan Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate are ambassadors for the literary community in Saskatchewan and engage communities and organizations across the province in poetry initiatives or readings.

The Poet Laureate shares their work publicly with diverse audiences at SWG and community events. Their work may occur both online and in-person; some travel within Saskatchewan may be required. They may be called on to do media interviews.

Information about the criteria and how to apply for the position is below. Application packages must be received by email by midnight Monday, June 10, 2026. The successful poet will be announced in July.

Saskatchewan Poet Laureate

Objectives

• celebrate the spirit of the people and place of Saskatchewan through the literary arts
• raise the profile of writers in Saskatchewan
• elevate writing as a vocation
• raise awareness of the power of poetry and spoken word
• act as an Ambassador for writing in general, poetry in particular, and for the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild

Criteria

The Poet Laureate will meet the following criteria:

• have a significant body of work, including a minimum of two books of poetry professionally published or 3-5 years of public feature/paid performance history, outside of open mics, for spoken word poets
• have achieved recognition for the literary merit of their work
• have a record of public involvement in the literary life of the province (e.g. teaching; delivering workshops; giving readings or spoken word performances, writing reviews and articles; service on arts and literary boards and committees)
• have the ability to work with the SWG, including administrative work (i.e. creating invoices and reports) and communicating on a regular basis by email, phone or Zoom;
• be a current resident of Saskatchewan, and has been a resident for at least 2 of the past 3 years
• have means of reliable transportation and is willing to conduct duties both in-person and online.

Duties

• represent the literary community and/or read their poetry or perform their spoken word at events throughout Saskatchewan to which the Laureate has been officially invited;
• Involvement in the Poetry Soiree organized by the Lieutenant Governor’s Office (April) and SWG events like Poetry & A Pint;
• Submit invoices and reports to the SWG for their performed work and communicate on a regular basis.

It is not expected that the Poet Laureate write new work for any event/invitation; the responsibility is on the poet whether to accept such a request.

Length of Term & Remuneration

The Poet Laureate term is two years (August 1, 2026 – July 31, 2028).

The Poet Laureate will receive a $2,000 annual stipend to be paid in payments of $1000 in December and July, as well as fees for each reading/event performed (a limited number during the term). Rates range from $150 to $400 per event. They will also be paid the current SWG publication rates for their Windscript address. Mileage reimbursement is available for in-person events.

Limited funding is available for reading fees for other poets involved in Poet Laureate-organized events.

Application Process:

To apply for the Saskatchewan Poet Laureate position, please submit the following to programs@skwriter.com as email attachments in either Word or PDF form:

• A letter of intent (max 1000 words) explaining the following:
  • Why you want to be the Saskatchewan Poet Laureate
  • How you meet the criteria of the position you are applying for
  • Your availability and ability as the nominated poet between Aug 1, 2026, and July 31, 2028.
  • Please include your full mailing address, email address and phone number.
• A literary CV (max 5 pages); please ensure this includes a brief bio, a complete list of publications and paid performances, as well as evidence of your involvement in the literary life of Saskatchewan
• One to three letters of reference that explain why you should be the Saskatchewan Poet Laureate.

Applications that do not follow the guidelines will not be considered. Please do not send Google Docs, links or documents longer than the limits stated above.

Application deadline is Monday, June 10, 2026, at midnight.