On October 12, Dr. Anjail Rashida Ahmad, director of the NC A&T State University Creative Writing Program, was notified by the North Carolina Arts Council that she is among the individuals being considered for the prestigious State Poet Laureate position.
Ahmad was elated to learn she is being considered. “It’s quite an honor just to be nominated,” Ahmad said. The state poet laureate serves as the ambassador of North Carolina literature, and final selection will be announced in January 2010 by Governor Beverly Purdue.
The post, created by the General Assembly in 1935, uses the office as a platform to promote N.C. writers and the potentially transformative qualities of poetry and the written word.
The poet laureate receives a $10,000 annual stipend funded by the N.C. Arts Council, along with support from staff. While each poet laureate leaves his or her own personal imprint on the program, duties typically include public activities with schools, community groups and the press, and contact with writers and readers by mail, email and/or through a Web site.
The selection criteria for the poet laureate position include:
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A North Carolinian with deep connections to the cultural life of this state.
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Literary excellence of the writer's work.
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Influence on other writers and appreciation of literature in its diversity throughout the state.
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Ability and willingness to conduct the public engagement duties of the office.
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Statewide, national or international reputation.
