Boston has selected Emmanuel Oppong-Yeboah as its next poet laureate, a role designed to lead public poetry programs and inspire young writers throughout the city.
Mayor Michelle Wu and the city’s Office of Arts and Culture announced the appointment on Thursday, marking Oppong-Yeboah as the city’s fourth poet laureate.
Assuming the four-year role in July, they will take over from Porsha Olayiwola, a co-owner of justBook-ish, an independent bookstore located in Dorchester, whose term concluded in January.
Oppong-Yeboah, who utilizes he/they pronouns, is a native of Boston and currently works as a librarian at Joseph Lee School in Dorchester.
The Ghanaian American has also spent six years teaching 11th-grade English at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School and has worked as a teaching artist for a decade.
Initially, Oppong-Yeboah did not plan to apply for the poet laureate role, thinking that such candidates would be the “best poets in Boston,” and felt they did not fit that description.
“I still feel very much like a working poet, someone who is writing and exploring and honing their craft,” they expressed.
However, following discussions with friends, their perspective changed regarding what the role could entail.
“They guided my attention to think less about your poetic practice and more about what you could do in the role,” they noted.
Recognizing their potential contributions to the community, Oppong-Yeboah developed an array of ideas for fostering engagement with poetry.
“I would like to create more space in our city for people to hear a poem that unsettles them, that offers them a new perspective, that just has them experience beauty,” they stated.
Additionally, they plan to cultivate collaborations with Boston’s public and school libraries.
“I want to give people the experience I had as a young child, which was hearing a living poet read for the first time,” Oppong-Yeboah said.
“They believe there are many young people in schools who have yet to experience that, and they think it would be beautiful to provide those opportunities.”
Porsha Olayiwola and Thomas Johnston, who manages the poet laureate program, handled the selection process and chose the judges but did not partake in the voting.
The selection committee narrowed the applicants to six finalists before ultimately selecting Oppong-Yeboah for the position.
“It was extremely competitive,” Olayiwola remarked, acknowledging the high caliber of applicants.
“What stood out about Emmanuel was really his humility in connecting with others around the literary arts.
I think who he was as a person shone through in a dynamic way.”
Having a friendship with Olayiwola, Oppong-Yeboah was inspired by her sharing of how being poet laureate made her aspirations seem attainable.
They look forward to realizing their own dreams for building community through the power of words.
“The things I care about are community and that feeling of connectedness,” they affirmed.
“Creating spaces where individuals can appreciate the unique offerings of poetry, which I believe fosters a different way of thinking and a greater appreciation for life is essential.”
Olayiwola expressed her enthusiasm for a dinner scheduled with Oppong-Yeboah next week to congratulate them and assist in preparing for their new role.
image source from：https://www.wbur.org/news/2025/04/17/emmanuel-oppong-yeboah-announced-as-bostons-next-poet-laureate
