The City of Newton will soon be choosing its first poet laureate. This ceremonial officeholder will help to promote poetry throughout the city through workshops and events and help to bring the arts to everyone.

“Arts and culture broadly shouldn’t just be accessible in a museum or a gallery or a concert hall, but woven into everyday life,” said Meryl Kessler, director of the city’s new Arts and Culture Department.

Many other towns in Massachusetts have a poet laureate, as does the state and the country. Two former U.S. poet laureates, Robert Pinsky and Tracy Smith, live in Newton.

Newton’s new mayor, Marc Laredo, recognized that Newtonians highly value poetry and announced the creation of the new role on April 1, at the beginning of National Poetry Month.

“Poetry, like many other forms of arts and culture, is critical to the wellbeing of Newton,” said Laredo at the announcement. Kessler hopes to put together a nominating committee over the summer and have applications due by October, with a decision announced by January. The poet laureate will serve a two-year term, from 2027 to 2029.

Kessler has been pleased by the responses she has received from Newtonians. One high school student told her she was always surprised Newton didn’t have a poet laureate, since other towns do. “Newton is home to many creatives,” said Kessler. But she hopes that the position will spur an interest in poetry among everyone. “Many people are unfamiliar with poetry, or just don’t see it as relevant to their daily life, and we’d like to change that,” she said.

Newton has a variety of poetry-related programming, and Kessler also hopes that the poet laureate can help to tie together those programs, like the poetry readings hosted by the library.

The individual will be chosen not only on the strength of their work, but also on the proposal they submit that outlines their plans to bring poetry into the community.

“Art needs to meet people where they are,” said Kessler. The poet laureate may also deliver readings at civic events. “We’d like them to serve as a literary resource for the city,” she added.

Kessler is also working on a project with Brookline’s Poet Laureate, Allison Adair, that will bring poetry to Newton’s streets in the coming months, so keep your eyes open for some outdoor poetry.