THE search is on for Cheshire's new Poet Laureate to capture the diversity of the county in verse, its events and celebrations.

Harry Owen, the first holder of the honorary post, will be stepping down in January and the hunt has begun for his successor.

'An extremely successful inaugural year has involved Harry writing a set of commissions to celebrate key events which include the launch of the Cheshire Rural Trust as well as the annual Cheshire Show and RHS Show at Tatton,' said education executive member David Rowlands.

'We are now looking for a fine poet to carry on with this excellent work and take up the challenge not only to capture Cheshire in verse but continue to 'spread' the word through workshops and events and encourage people to do more reading and writing, particularly of poetry.'

There is an opportunity to see Cheshire's first Poet Laureate in action during next month's Chester Literature Festival.

On National Poetry Day on Thursday, October 9, the teacher will perform his commissions and talk about his experiences over the past year including sharing the spotlight with the national Poet Laureate Andrew Motion.

Hosted by Cheshire County Council, the Cheshire Poet Laureate Showcase takes place at St Mary's Centre in Chester at 7.30pm. Tickets costing £5 and £4 for concessions can be booked by ringing 01244 320700.

For more details about the Cheshire Poet Laureate post contact Elizabeth Barron from the county council's arts service on 01244 602898. The closing date is Friday, November 14.

'The reasons for creating a Cheshire Poet Laureate scheme were twofold,' she said.

'One was to raise the profile of local poets and the second was that of poetry generally across the county. This will be achieved by making the appointment on an annual basis and creating a core set of commissions relating to key events in the Cheshire calendar.

'The post also involves instigating further commissions, workshops and appearances for a wide range of community groups, organisations and council services throughout Cheshire.'