Poet Laureate of Cobourg, Ontario

I am honoured and thrilled to be Cobourg’s Poet Laureate. Click here to see upcoming events.

Jessica Outram
Click here to read poems written for occasions.

Mission

  • “To honour and nurture the expression of life in Cobourg’s past, present and future and to establish the reputation of Cobourg as a culturally dynamic community.” From the Town of Cobourg’s description of the role.

Vision

  • To honour and support the legacies of Cobourg Poets Laureate who have gone before me.
  • To uplift, inspire, and celebrate Cobourg through engaging the community in writing and reading more poetry.
  • To introduce new projects to promote local voices and to encourage writing in community.
    • Weekly poems delivered to your inbox: Poetry Present.
    • Co-create an inspiring artistic walk to engage with the history, people, and places within the town–and write more poetry.

Poetry in Cobourg

Contact Info

poetlaureate@cobourg.ca

What is Stanza Room Only?

“Stanza Room Only is a community poetry project in Cobourg, Ontario, Canada. It has been in existence for 5 years, after being officially approved by Cobourg Town Council. It is a large (or largish) rectangle of sidewalk in front of “Meet at 66 King East” created by {poetry in Cobourg spaces}. This part of the sidewalk is painted purple and exists so anyone who wishes can use chalk to display some words of poetry.”

Who were the previous Poet Laureates of Cobourg?

Eric Winter (1997-2010)
Jill Battson (2010-2011)
Ted Amsden (2011-2019)

What are some local groups for writers?

Cobourg Poetry Workshop (Meets the fourth Thursday of the month at the Woodlawn Inn, Cobourg)
Spirit of the Hills Writers’ Group (Meetings begin at 9:15 am, on the third Saturday of every month, at the Grafton Village Inn, County Road 2, Grafton, ON.)

What are some upcoming Poetry Events?

Third Thursday Reading Series. Meet at 66 King St E, Cobourg. 7:00 pm Doors Open, 7:30 pm Readings Begin.
Word on the Hills Radio Program (Each week the hosts visit with a local author, are introduced to their work and get a glimpse into their lives.)
Events where I am attending or reading

Would you like to read poems composed by Jessica for local events?

Poems composed for local events
All poems posted on this site

What is Poetry Present?

A weekly email with a poem composed by a writer from Cobourg or nearby. Click here to to subscribe or submit.

2020 Photo Gallery and Archives

Jan 1, 2020. Mayor’s Levee.
Jan 5, 2020. Hometown Hockey Event.

2019 Photo Gallery and Archives

June 24, 2019. Mayor John Henderson, Councillor Adam Bureau, and Ted Amsden. And so it begins! Sharing “Being Poetica.”
July 1, 2019. Mayor John Henderson, MP Kim Rudd, and, Town Crier, Mandy Robinson. Sharing “Maple Tree Community.”
July 6, 2019. Sharing “The Reader” at Glen Wilson’s 65th Birthday.
July 10, 2019. Ted Amsden and James Pickersgill. “Sharing Pop-Up Exhibition of Art in Your Garden.”
July 23, 2019. Attended Cobourg Poetry Workshop meeting. Shared new poem “Windblown Group of Seven.”
August 12, 2019 Broadcast
August 15, 2019. Third Thursday Reading Series.
August 17, 2019. Spirit of the Hills Breakfast Meeting.
September 19, 2019. Take Back the Night, Cobourg.
Sept 19, 2019. In this photo is me, Ted, and Jason plus another Poet Laureate Emeritus of the Town of Cobourg, Eric Winter.
September 24, 2019. Sandra Alland Book Launch. Photo Credit: Taps and Corks
September 23, 2019. Introduced Stuart Ross for the AGN Spotlight Series.
October 2019
Attended GG Literary Awards, Dec 2019.
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