Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer Selects City’s Second Poet Laureate

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer Selects City’s Second Poet Laureate 

October 4, 2021 - ORLANDO, FL — Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer has selected Shawn S. Welcome as the second Orlando Poet Laureate. Once voted and approved by the Orlando City Council at the October 11, 2021 meeting, Welcome will be appointed and serve as a prominent fixture in the City’s cultural and literary arts communities, promoting poetry and literature among residents and visitors. 

“We are excited for Shawn Welcome to use poetry and the literary arts to tell our community’s stories,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “There is no doubt that Orlando is a better place to live and work because of our vibrant arts and cultural scene. Our Poet Laureate will help continue to add to our City’s unique sense of place.” 

Welcome is a long time Orlando resident and University of Central Florida graduate. He  has been highly involved in the Orlando community, including facilitating poetic expression since 2006 through "Diverse Word," a weekly poetry night he launched that features local literary artists from across Central Florida. He has traveled the country sharing his gift of poetry, written NBA commercials for the Orlando Magic, and served youth and fellow poets through local nonprofits like Page 15, where he presented a “Slam Camp”.  

As the City’s official storyteller, Welcome will present original poems at City events and youth activities to inspire emerging generations of literary artists and poets. He will continue and expand the city’s “Words and Wonders” Poetry Contest initiated by Orlando’s first poet laureate, Susan Lilley. The contest encourages and rewards residents who share their poetic voices. To learn more about “Words and Wonders” contest, click here. 

Orlando’s Poet Laureate selection process was conducted by the city’s Office of Community Affairs in partnership with United Arts of Central Florida. A Poet Laureate Search Committee, consisting of distinguished local poets, scholars and literary experts evaluated 19 applications based on artistic merit of literary work samples, experience and background.  

After being appointed in October, the Orlando Poet Laureate will serve a three-year term. 

VISUALS: 
For Shawn Welcome’s photo and video footage, click here.    

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