Neil Surkan appointed as City of Nanaimo’s newest poet laureate

The City’s newest poet laureate is seeking to create community and connection

NEWS RELEASE - Distributed November 12, 2024 1:00 PM

Summary

The City of Nanaimo is thrilled to announce Neil Surkan as its newest poet laureate. An accomplished poet and educator, Neil was appointed by City Council for a two-year term beginning December 1, 2024. In this role, he will serve as a literary ambassador for the city, raising awareness of the literary arts in our community by creating and presenting poetic works and activities.

Neil brings a wealth of experience and talent to the role of poet laureate. As a professor in the Department of English at Vancouver Island University (VIU) with two full-length poetry collections, three published chapbooks and additional publications in the works, Neil has turned his focus to creating connections with the broader Nanaimo community.

Since moving to Nanaimo in 2001, Neil has hosted poetry readings, workshops and retreats, edited an issue of Nanaimo’s Counterflow Magazine, collaborated with the national Poetry in Voice Program and joined VIU’s Gustafson Committee (in which a distinguished poet is welcomed to the university each year). His poetry explores the search for connection and community, queer parenthood and themes of isolation, anxiety and hope.

The City’s poet laureate presents original work to City Council and the community at a variety of civic events, sharing poetry that is relevant to life in Nanaimo. The poet laureate is also responsible for serving as a mentor to the youth poet laureate, while collaborating with City staff and other partners to develop a diverse array of projects and programming. During his tenure, Neil plans to host regular literary events, create poems focusing on the impacts of writing from and about this place, and will offer engaging poetic activities within the community for passersby. Neil plans to work collaboratively with City staff and Nanaimo’s youth poet laureate on projects that broaden public awareness and appreciation of poetry and the literary arts.

A free Holiday Poetry Showcase will be hosted by the Harbourfront Library on Thursday, December 5th beginning at 6pm. All are invited to join us for a cozy evening of poetry including readings by the City’s poet laureate, youth poet laureate and more!

More on the City’s Poet Laureate Program can be found on the City’s website.

Link to Strategic Plan: The Poet Laureate program aligns with the goals of the City of Nanaimo’s City Plan by recognizing and promoting the role that culture and the creative sector play in the community with respect to community identity and quality of life, as well as fostering equitable opportunities for all community members of different ages, abilities, and backgrounds to create, engage, experience, and contribute to Nanaimo’s arts and culture.

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