Mayor Verga and the Committee for the Arts celebrate a new chapter in the City’s literary tradition
GLOUCESTER – Mayor Greg Verga and the Committee for the Arts are proud to announce the appointment of Jay Featherstone and Heidi Wakeman as the city’s new Co-Poet Laureates, marking a continuation of Gloucester’s rich literary tradition.
This honorary position, reinvigorated by the City’s Committee for the Arts, celebrates poets who serve as advocates for poetry—fostering creative expression, engaging with the community, and making the literary arts accessible to all. Applications were reviewed by a Poet Laureate Selection Panel, convened to evaluate candidates and uphold the city’s commitment to artistic excellence.
“Gloucester has long been home to an extraordinary literary heritage,” said Mayor Greg Verga. “This program helps to ensure that the literary arts are celebrated and remain accessible to the Gloucester community and its visitors. We are thrilled to welcome Jay and Heidi as Co-Poet Laureates and look forward to their leadership in weaving together the many voices that make up the beautiful fabric of our city.”
Jay Featherstone, a longtime literary advocate and past president of the Gloucester Writers Center (GWC) board of trustees, brings a deep history of service to the city’s arts community.
“As Poet Laureate, I’ll be continuing the work I’ve been doing for a long time: nourishing and strengthening Gloucester’s literary life,” said Featherstone. “During my five years as president of the GWC board, I witnessed an era of revival and rebuilding unmatched in the organization’s history.”
Joining him is Heidi Wakeman, a dedicated Gloucester Public School teacher and local poet whose work is rooted in connection and inspired by Gloucester’s people and landscapes.
“Our beloved city has been, and continues to be, a muse for artists of all media,” said Wakeman. “From quarry workers and fishermen to newcomers and summer visitors, the diversity of our community is reflected in our art and identity. As Poet Laureate, I hope to bring poetry into civic spaces, where it can reflect the ordinary magic of being human.”
Together, the Co-Poet Laureates will lead public readings, community workshops, and school collaborations—amplifying voices across the city and weaving Gloucester’s past, present, and future into verse. The position was last held by Peter Todd, and the City looks forward to continuing this legacy of literary excellence.
Featherstone and Wakeman’s appointment is pending approval by Gloucester City Council.
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