The Poet Laureate Circle began in 2014 when it was decided that Prince William County should have the first county Poet Laureate in Virginia. There were 15 applicants to become our Prince William Poet Laureate. The nomination and judging took place and two poets laureate were chosen, Dr. Robert Scott and Alexandra Hailey, for a two year term.

The nominees who applied that year asked several panel members if they could continue their projects even though they were not the chosen winners. It was then decided to form a Poet Laureate Circle and the nominees would be invited to become members.

The following year, 2015, other Virginia and surrounding states poets laureate were invited to join the circle in the biennial event: In The Company of Laureates.

All attending nominees at the subsequent crowning ceremonies are inducted into the Poet Laureate Circle in recognition of their writing talent, community spirit, and personal commitment in promoting awareness and appreciation of poetry.

The Prince William County Poet Laureate serves to promote an awareness of poetry and to heighten appreciation of the art form and will forge a meaningful connection between poetry and the community by participating in public gatherings, initiating engaging dialogue with residents, and by undertaking a project which makes poetry more available and accessible to people in their everyday lives. Candidates must be eighteen years of age or older, must have lived in the area for at least two previous years and must maintain residence in the Prince William County area during the full two-year term to receive an honorarium of $500 per year.

Poet Laureate Day as proclaimed by the PWC Board of Supervisors serves to recognize poetry as an art form, to embody the heart and soul of our community, and to officially herald all nominees as "chosen and tasked to promote poetry, heighten local appreciation of the art form, and to undertake an individual project designed to make poetry more available and accessible to Prince William County citizens in their everyday lives."