Graduate appointed as first poet laureate for Rochdale
Manchester Writing School graduate and multi-award-winning poet Sammy Weaver has been appointed as Rochdale’s first ever poet laureate.
Weaver, who studied on the Creative Writing MA from 2018 to 2020, has been commissioned to convey the essence of the borough in writing during Rochdale’s year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture.
She studied at Manchester Met under the tutelage of former UK poet laureate and Director of Manchester Writing School Professor Dame Carol Ann Duffy and will be drawing on her experiences to encourage people in Rochdale and beyond to engage with poetry.
Between May 2025 and March 2026, she will lead workshops in schools, mentor Rochdale’s two new poets in residence and develop an anthology and exhibition.
Originally from Herefordshire, Weaver relocated to Rochdale after completing her MA at Manchester Met, and now lives on a narrowboat along Rochdale Canal, using the surrounding landscapes as her creative inspiration.
Speaking about her time at Manchester Met, she said: “Working with so many amazing poets and lecturers was transformative for me and changed so much about my writing. I loved my time at the Writing School and felt privileged to be able to learn from some of the best in the UK.
“The experience gave me confidence, shaped my career and enabled me to go on to exciting projects like this new one. I’m looking forward to engaging with the Rochdale community and encouraging them to see the power of poetry in communicating shared experiences.”
Weaver’s poetry explores human relationships, nature and the conflict between extreme tenderness and violence. She has over ten years’ experience leading creative writing sessions across the UK and won the Mslexia Poetry Pamphlet Prize in 2021 for her debut collection Angola, America.
Earlier this year she was made a Yaddo Fellow and was writer in residence at the organisation’s artists’ community in New York.
Weaver’s news follows several high-profile appointments from Manchester Writing School alumni, including poet Tom Branfoot being made writer-in-residence at Manchester Cathedral. Just last month, former UK poet laureate and Director of Manchester Writing School Professor Dame Carol Ann Duffy was awarded a lifetime achievement award for her services to poetry.
