Tara Tamburello of Langhorne has been named the 2023 Bucks County Poet Laureate, officials at Bucks County Community College announced.

Tamburello, a published poet who works in marketing, rose to the top 60 entries in the 47th annual contest, said Dr. Ethel Rackin, director of the poet laureate program administered by the College.

This year’s judges were Philadelphia poet Courtney Bambrick and Brooklyn poet Joanna Fuhrman, both of whom commented on the strength of this year’s entries. The contest is sponsored by the Bucks County Commissioners.

Tamburello was raised in Bucks County, along the bank of the Neshaminy Creek.

Her poetry and prose have appeared in Ghost City Review, Bone Parade, Rust + Moth, and other journals, as well as in anthologies by Vestal Review and Sans. PRESS. She is a past winner of the Bucks County Short Fiction Contest and was a runner-up for the poet laureate competition in 2021. 

Tamburello currently lives in Langhorne with her husband, two children, and cat, and works on the Law School Admission Council (LSAC)’s marketing team.

In addition to writing, she enjoys gardening, playing video games and music, hiking, and painting.

Tamburello will be reading her poetry on Sunday, November 12 at 1 PM in Tyler 142 on the Newtown Campus. She will be reading with 2022 Laureate Tom Mallouk, who will be joined by the three runners-up, Lake Angela, Kevin Taylor, and Melinda Rizzo. Courtney Bambrick will also be reading. 

The Bucks County Poet Laureate program is the longest-running such program in Pennsylvania, and is another way that Bucks County Community College contributes to the cultural heritage of the region. 

For more information, visit Bucks County Community College.