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Poetry Coalition Fellow: Apply Now!

Mass Poetry, a founding member of the Poetry Coalition, is accepting applications for a paid Poetry Coalition Fellowship position. This position is 20 hours per week from September 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. The total stipend is $20,000 plus $1,100 toward health care. 

The Poetry Coalition is a national alliance of nearly thirty organizations dedicated to working together to promote the value poets bring to our culture and the important contribution poetry makes in the lives of people of all ages and backgrounds. Members are nonprofit organizations whose primary mission is to promote poets and poetry, and/or multi-genre literary organizations that serve disabled poets and poets of specific racial, ethnic, or gender identities, backgrounds, or communities. 

The Poetry Coalition Fellowship Program is a three-year program. The goals of this are to help: 

● diversify the leadership of the nonprofit literary field by encouraging more inclusion of individuals from under-represented communities; 

● develop future literary leaders regardless of educational background; 

● introduce the individuals who are interested to nonprofit literary arts management, fundraising, programming, and editorial work, providing experiences that will be useful as they seek jobs and inspiring them to consider working in the literary field; and 

● increase the capacity of our individual organizations by having additional assistance. 

POSITION OVERVIEW: 

Mass Poetry’s Poetry Coalition Fellow will offer program support on the 2027 Massachusetts Poetry Festival, a biennial festival held in Salem, Massachusetts. Our Fellow will work closely with the Festival Director to coordinate the community proposal process, support programming and marketing, coordinate with festival venues and partners, and more. In addition, our Fellow will support Mass Poetry’s community programming and events at GrubStreet’s Center for Creative Writing in Boston’s Seaport, where Mass Poetry serves as an arts-partner-in-residence.

FELLOW RESPONSIBILITIES: 

● Committing to 20 hours per week for the entire ten-month fellowship 

● Adhering to rules and policies of Mass Poetry as appropriate 

● Assisting with any of the following: 

➢ Community outreach 

➢ Marketing and promotion, including materials development Mass Poetry_Poetry Coalition Fellowship Application_3.26.27 

➢ Content production for websites or social media 

➢ Programming and curating live events, such as poetry readings and workshops, and/or retreats 

➢ General administration 

● Attending and participating in meetings, including ad-hoc meetings with other Poetry Coalition fellows and with leaders to foster community, professional development, and create a peer learning group 

● Participating in the Poetry Coalition’s professional development sessions 

● Completing evaluations at the end of the fellowship year

FELLOW QUALIFICATIONS: 

● Passion for poetry and familiarity with and/or knowledge of contemporary poets 

● Interest in literary arts programming, administration, and management 

● Demonstrated experience in the areas listed above Note: We welcome all applicants, including those who are enrolled in or have recently graduated from MFA programs in creative writing. 

TO APPLY: Please submit a cover letter, resume, 2-3 references, and writing sample to https://goodmeasures.wufoo.com/forms/z13i9r1b1pvz6md/. No calls please.

*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis

Support our Programs

Donations to Mass Poetry are critical in sustaining our mission, and throughout the year, we seek sponsorships and in-kind donations for community events, highlighted below. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, contributions to Mass Poetry are tax-deductible and we welcome community collaboration in our fundraising efforts. Please email [email protected] to discuss ways you can make a philanthropic impact, and thank you for your support!