New Westminster Names Alan Hill As New Poet Laureate

The following information is excerpted from a release from the City of New Westminster.

ALAN HILL | IMAGE: WORLD POETRY READING SERIES

The City of New Westminster has announced Alan Hill as its new Poet Laureate. The Poet Laureate acts as a literary ambassador for the City of New Westminster and the community; advocating for literacy and the literary arts and helping to raise the status of poetry, language and the arts in the everyday consciousness of New Westminster residents. The Poet Laureate also develops meaningful engagement opportunities that enrich the lives of residents and visitors to the City.

“The City of New Westminster is thrilled with the appointment of Alan Hill as our Poet Laureate,” said Councillor Mary Trentadue, chair of the Arts Commission. “This is a very important role for our arts and literary community and Mr. Hill brings a wonderful breadth of experience and passion for the written word. We are excited about his vision for outreach and his plans for bringing poetry and his love of language to the greater community.”

Alan Hill is a resident of the Glenbrook North neighbourhood of New Westminster. He is co-manager of the Poetry New West reading series and has been a regular on the Vancouver reading circuit for over ten years. He has been published in North America and Europe in numerous print and online journals. He has also published two collections of poetry, ‘The Upstairs Country’ (Silverbow 2012) and ‘The Broken Word’ (Silverbow 2013).

New Westminster’s new Poet Laureate was appointed following a call for nominations and review by the Poet Laureate Selection Committee. Following recommendation to City Council, the appointment was approved at a Council meeting held on February 6, 2017.