“The Poet Laureate champions the art form, loves this city, and helps it tell its stories and create paths to healing.”  

-Mayor Danny Avula 

About the Program 

In 2020, the City of Richmond launched the Poet Laureate Program as a way to highlight gifted artists and use the literary arts to provide support during an unprecedented time. The Program continues now as an affirmation of the important role poetry plays in our city: as a way of bringing people together and as a way of telling our stories.

Richmond’s Poet Laureates are not only gifted artists, although they certainly are that! They are community builders, educators, placemakers, and cheerleaders. They serve others through their poetry, and they connect City resources with community partners. They are advocates for our city and the people who live, work, and study here.

Are you our next Poet Laureate, or do you know who is? Applications and nominations will open in December of 2025.

Current Poet Laureate 

In April 2024, Joanna Lee was named the City of Richmond’s second Poet Laureate. Joanna will serve until April 2026 and receives an annual $4,000 stipend from the City of Richmond to advance poetry. 

“I believe a big part of what the Poet Laureate of a place should do is to write to and for that place—to bear witness to the times we are living through, and to be a voice for the people who call that place home.” 

-Joanna Lee, Richmond’s second Poet Laureate 

Explore Joanna’s work  

• Joanna’s work appears regularly in the Hey, Richmond newsletter, where she chronicles what she observes around the city monthly.
• Joanna shares introductory remarks at the launch event for the Mayoral Action Plan in October 2025.
• Joanna’s website. 

Previous Poet Laureates 

In 2021, was Douglas Powell (Roscoe Burnems) was named the City’s Inaugural Poet Laureate. 

“It was my honor to serve as the inaugural poet laureate of Richmond, Virginia. My time as poet laureate was an eventful one. During my tenure, I was able to accomplish all the projects I set out to do with the support of many Richmond organizations. We partnered with Mending Walls RVA to add a performance poetry component to their murals centered around culture and social justice. During my time, Richmond Public Schools and I worked together to organize the first city-wide high school poetry slam. I was fortunate to work with and give a lot of artists opportunities to have their work seen on larger platforms and give back to the youth.

I was able to use this position to talk about the beauty of Richmond and discuss the areas of improvement. From poems about beautiful murals, to addressing the infamous Confederate statues, I wrote more about the city than I ever have and broadened my perspective of this wonderful place I’ve called home. In addition to the larger projects, I was able to provide poetry writing and performance workshops to youth and adults throughout the city and surrounding counties. I hope that this position continues to be a beacon for the community. It is my hope that this prestigious position gives hope and inspiration to the citizens of Richmond. Poetry is an art form centered in the experiences of the people. Poets are the griots of our time, and the future laureates should be someone who listens and understands the voice of the city, as they will be the voice for the city for a time.” 

Explore Roscoe’s work and highlights from his time as Poet Laureate 

• “If These Walls Could Talk”: A Mending Walls and poetry project
• The Richmond Public Schools Poetry Slam, 2022
• Academy of Poets Laureate Fellowship announcement
• Traumedy, a poetry and comedy special
• University of Richmond Teaching Artist Spotlight
• Roscoe’s website 

Poetry in Richmond 

Coming soon!