“If you are a writer, you must listen,” says current Piedmont Laureate Nancy Peacock. “You must disengage, every day, from the noise and commerce and traffic and politics of the world. You must not let anyone tell you how to do it. You must not let anyone tell you what’s important…What did you do before the serpent of social media? Find it.”
The Piedmont Laureate Program aims to increase awareness and heighten appreciation for excellence in the literary arts throughout the Piedmont region of North Carolina. Each year, the program names a new laureate in a genre different from the previous year.
Applications for the 2019 Piedmont Laureate position are now open for writers of Creative Nonfiction, including those who write biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, travel writing, and journalism.
Each year, a Piedmont Laureate is appointed for a one-year term and conducts the following activities in Durham, Orange, and Wake counties:
- Readings at designated public sites such as libraries, arts centers, schools, universities, and other community gathering places;
- Workshops or other types of outreach that encourage creative writing for all age groups;
- Online activities that promote literature and encourage creative writing.
- Promotion of literature at select public events;
- Events that bring attention to literature in less traditional settings; and
- Other original activities that expand appreciation of the literary arts.
The Piedmont Laureate must be eighteen years of age or older and have been a resident of Wake, Durham, or Orange counties for at least one year. Candidates should plan on maintaining residency in Wake, Durham, or Orange counties for the duration of their appointment as Laureate.
Candidates will demonstrate:
- Exemplary writing skill;
- Significant body of published work;
- Comfort with public presentation and interaction; and
- Availability and willingness to travel in Wake, Durham, and Orange counties for scheduled readings,workshops, and other public events.
The application deadline is October 5, 2018.
For more information, and to apply, click here.
The Piedmont Laureate program is co-sponsored by the City of Raleigh Arts Commission, Durham Arts Council, Orange County Arts Commission, and United Arts Council of Raleigh & Wake County. Its primary goal is to promote awareness and heighten appreciation for excellence in the literary arts in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. The program is dedicated to building a literary bridge for residents to come together and celebrate the art of writing, enriching the lives of all our citizens.