The City of Nanaimo has named Neil Surkan as its new poet laureate. He will serve as the city’s literary ambassador for the next two years, beginning December 1.
“I am deeply honored to take on this role,” Surkan said in a news release. “My hope is that my time as laureate will create opportunities for both creativity and reflection in our community. Poetry is best experienced together. It can be the language we share.”
Surkan is a professor of English at Vancouver Island University and the author of two poetry collections and three chapbooks. Since moving to Nanaimo in 2001, he has hosted poetry readings, workshops, and retreats. He has also worked with the national Poetry in Voice program and is a member of the VIU Gustafson Committee, which invites a distinguished poet to the university each year.
According to the news release, Surkan’s poetry explores themes such as connection, queer parenthood, and issues of isolation, anxiety, and hope.
As poet laureate, Surkan will present original poetry to city council and participate in community events, sharing poems that reflect life in Nanaimo. He will join the city’s youth poet laureate for a free holiday event at Harbourfront Library on December 5 at 6 p.m., where they will read original works.
Mayor Leonard Krog expressed his enthusiasm for Surkan’s appointment. “The passion, talent, and experience Mr. Surkan brings to this role will undoubtedly inspire the community,” Krog said. “We look forward to the many ways he will engage with the public, sharing the power of words through poetry and further enriching our vibrant cultural scene.”
