Britain's most-visited national park launches a competition this week to find its own poet laureate to express "the unique spirit" of the Peak District, and "what it means to live, work or visit there".

Entries are open to anyone ranging from bedroom EJ Thribbs to professionals.

"We want someone who takes poetry very seriously," said Charles Monkhouse of Arts in the Peak, which is organising the contest. "We are looking for a contemporary voice, someone who sees the problems of the Peak as well as its pastoral beauties - a post-modern voice rather than one that is looking back."

Would-be laureates must be 18 or over on the closing date of the competition (September 1) and must have lived in, worked in, or regularly visited the Peak District over the past three years. Three poems written in the past two years (at least one of them inspired by the Peak District) must be submitted.

Entries will be judged by poet and heritage architect John Sewell, author and professor of English literature Neil Roberts and senior librarian Rosemary Orders. The laureate will hold the title for two years.

"These posts are usually honorary," said Mr Monkhouse, after explaining that no fee (not even the vat of wine awarded to the national laureate Andrew Motion) will be paid. "But we may be able to negotiate a package of activities that will generate income for the winner."

The Peak District, visited by more than 20 million people a year, has links with Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte and Agatha Christie.

John Ruskin enjoyed the "clefts, glens and dingles of the Peakland dales", while Byron said there were "things in Derbyshire as noble as Greece or Switzerland".