Pinecrest Appoints First Village Poet Laureate

Published on September 01, 2026

Pinecrest Appoints First Village Poet Laureate

In celebration of The Village of Pinecrest’s 30th anniversary, the municipality has officially established the position of Poet Laureate and has appointed local youth writer, editor and publisher Megan Markus to the inaugural role. Markus aims to unite the community through creative writing programming and weave literary arts into Pinecrest’s civic life.

During her term, the inaugural Poet Laureate will unveil a series of free public events. The programming kicks off this autumn and will feature interactive poetry events at existing Pinecrest celebrations as well as independent poetry celebrations.

Capitalizing on her experience in designing and publishing a literary magazine, Markus has launched The Canopy, Pinecrest’s first creative writing publication. The magazine is now accepting written submissions across poetry, fictional short stories, creative nonfiction, personal essays, drama, humor and more.  All Village residents, as well as students attending a Pinecrest school, are eligible to submit their work before the deadline of Dec. 1, 2026. The Canopy actively solicits unconventional interpretations of literary form, so unique submissions such as song lyrics, letters, and writing in a foreign language (with an English translation) are encouraged. For more information, reach out to thecanopypinecrest@gmail.com.

A student at Gulliver Preparatory School in Pinecrest, Fla., Markus is the founder and editor-in-chief of Chrysalis Review, the first youth-led literary and arts magazine dedicated exclusively to publishing the work of individuals who are incarcerated. Markus is also the founder and executive director of 501 (c)(3) organization Paper Wings Project, Inc. and a writer, journalist and aspiring linguist. A lifelong resident of the Village of Pinecrest, she looks forward to bridging her two passions: writing and community connection.

Those interested in learning more about upcoming poetry events and The Canopy Literary Magazine can find details at www.pinecrestgardens.org/poet.