Well done me ode mates!

City names new Poet Laureates

- Sentinel Reporter

POET LAUREATES: Steven Beattie and Cameron Hart.

STOKE-ON-TRENT has named its new Poet Laureate - and for the first time a Young Poet Laureate.

The successful candidates will follow in the footsteps of local poet Nick Degg who was the city’s Centenary Poet Laureate in October 2024.

The roles were created as part of the city's Centenary celebrations and will continue to champion poetry and creative writing across Stoke-on-Trent.

Steven Beattie has been appointed as the new Stoke-on-Trent Poet Laureate and will take up the role in May 2026.

He was born and raised in Stoke-on-Trent and has a 'deep-rooted understanding' of the city's rich industrial heritage which is vividly reflected in his poetry.