Write Out Loud is looking for a dedicated volunteer – or volunteers – with a love of poetry to take over the running of its poetry news and features operation.

Greg Freeman, Write Out Loud’s news editor for the past seven years, will be standing down from the role at the end of March. 

Greg, aged 65, a former national newspaper sub-editor, said: “I’ve loved doing the news on Write Out Loud. In many ways it’s provided the most fulfilling moments in my newspaper career, even including my 31 years at the Guardian! But now I think it’s time for someone else to take over the reins, and to bring a fresh perspective and new ideas to the job.” 

Do you think we are missing out on covering some aspects of the poetry scene? Would you like to remedy that? You could be a journalism or creative writing student – or any kind of student with a love of poetry – who is keen to add to their experience and CV. Or you could be retired and wanting to keep active and involved – or any other age in between. A university department might be interested in taking it on as a project, offering its students top experience and bylines.

It’s a busy job – people are keen to get in touch with us and spread the word about their poetry events on Write Out Loud – and there are opportunities to cover top poetry events such as the Forward and TS Eliot prize nights. But you will also have the freedom to decide your own news priorities, to cover the areas of poetry that interest you. We take pride in covering national poetry news and grassroots poetry as well.

Last year Greg’s work for Write Out Loud saw him make the Reviewer of the Year shortlist in the Saboteur awards. He added: “Over the years we have developed our news operation, setting up interviews with the likes of Hollie McNish, Brian Patten, Luke Wright, Henry Normal, Attila the Stockbroker, Brian Bilston, Jackie Hagan, Michael Horovitz, John Agard, Kate Fox, Ira Lightman, Jo Bell, and many others. We’ve been to festivals like Aldeburgh, Ledbury and Wenlock covering events and taking pictures. The poetry plagiarism sleuth, Ira Lightman, contacted us to help him break a big story.”       

Write Out Loud averages 65,000 visits monthly, has the UK’s only comprehensive poetry listings, a huge online community sharing poems and ideas, and the UK’s only regular poetry journalism. Please have a good look at the site. We think you’ll be impressed, and will be able to see where the opportunities lie.

These are volunteer posts at the moment. Write Out Loud 2015 CIC is a social enterprise that currently receives no funding but is rich in support from its donors, its users and its team of volunteers, all passionate about the way we help individuals to find their voice through writing, and sharing their work.

All inquiries: julian@writeoutloud.net