Dayton will announce its first poet laureate this week

A poet laureate is a person appointed by a government who will compose poems presented at special occasions and events.

“The City of Dayton’s poet laureate will serve a two-year term and be called upon by the Mayor’s Office to compose and present poetry for specialty events and foster literacy programming throughout the City of Dayton,” states a release from Culture Works.

The event will include welcome remarks by Lisa Hanson, president and CEO of Culture Works; a statement from Paul Laurence Dunbar House Site Manager Ryan Qualls, the poet laureate announcement from Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims and a reading and remarks from the newly announced poet laureate.

Dayton established the position at a commission meeting in 2024.

“The City of Dayton, acknowledging the profound impact of poetry as a form of expression, literature and a promoter of literacy, is committed to supporting the community of poets. In this vein, we establish the position of ‘The Poet Laureate of the City of Dayton,’ a role that will be instrumental in celebrating our city’s culture and heritage,” stated the form seeking submissions for consideration.