Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer Selects City’s Third Poet Laureate

Last updated on October 06, 2025

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer Selects City’sThird Poet Laureate

October 6, 2025 - ORLANDO, FL — Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer has selected Camara Gaither as the third Orlando Poet Laureate. Once approved by the Orlando City Council at today's meeting, Camara will be appointed and serve as a prominent fixture in the City’s cultural and literary arts communities, promoting poetry and literature among residents and visitors.

“We are excited for Camara to use poetry and the literary arts to tell our community’s stories,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “There is no doubt that Orlando is a better place to live and work because of our vibrant arts and cultural scene. Our Poet Laureate will help continue to add to our City’s unique sense of place.”

Camara is a commissioned spoken word poet and a mental health therapist who weaves the two worlds together, helping others find liberation in the words they write, speak, and live. Her mission is to carry poetry into corners of the city untouched by its transformative power. She received her Master’s in Social Work from UCF in 2023. She has led a variety of poetry groups, won slam competitions across Florida, and represented Orlando in a national team competition. Camara has served as a resident poet in a multidisciplinary arts fellowship. She has also been the recipient of multiple United Arts grants for her work expanding access to poetry in underserved communities.

As the City’s official storyteller, Camara will present original poems at City events and youth activities to inspire emerging generations of literary artists and poets. She will continue and expand the city’s “Words and Wonders” Poetry Contest initiated by Orlando’s first Poet Laureate, Susan Lilley. The contest encourages and rewards residents who share their poetic voices. To learn more about “Words and Wonders” contest, click here.

Orlando’s Poet Laureate selection process was conducted by the city’s Office of Community Affairs in partnership with United Arts of Central Florida. A Poet Laureate Search Committee, consisting of distinguished local poets, scholars and literary experts evaluated 24 applications based on artistic merit of literary work samples, experience and background.

After being appointed in October, the Orlando Poet Laureate will serve a four-year term.

VISUALS:
For Camara Gaither’s photos, click here.

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Ashley Papagni
Public Information Manager
ashley.papagni@orlando.gov
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Andrea Otero
Public Information Manager
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321.689.7085