Local poet David Stones, widely recognized for his literary achievements, has been appointed as Stratford’s inaugural poet laureate. The appointment, which comes as the highlight of his distinguished career, is a momentous occasion for both him and the artistic community.
Stones, who has published three collections of poetry, including his latest book Essays of Light (released in November 2024), has written over 500 poems and received more than 40 awards from the Ontario Poetry Society. Despite these numerous accolades, he considers being named Stratford’s first poet laureate as the pinnacle of his career.
“I’m truly honoured to be Stratford’s first poet laureate, especially in a city that has such a rich artistic culture,” Stones expressed. “This is a special place, and to hold this role here is a particular honour.”
The poet laureate program, which offers an annual honorarium of $2,500, is a joint initiative between the city, the public library, and Destination Stratford. Stones was selected from a shortlist of six candidates. His three-year term, which runs until December 2027, includes responsibilities such as performing original work at significant events, including Remembrance Day and Canada Day. Additionally, he will mentor the city’s new youth poet laureate, Quinn Mayer, who holds a one-year term.
Stones will also collaborate with the public library to develop a community poetry program. He has already proposed an annual poetry contest aimed at giving marginalized voices—such as those from Indigenous communities and Stratford Pride—an opportunity to contribute. Stones plans to compile the best entries into an anthology.
“There would be an annual theme like acceptance, tolerance, or resilience,” he explained. “I think it would be incredible to represent Stratford’s community through 100 or 200 poems written by its people. That’s something that’s never been done before.”
In addition to his community work, Stones plans to create a collection of poems written during his time as poet laureate to pass down to his successor, contributing to a legacy of poetry in Stratford.
“Since this is the first time Stratford has had a poet laureate, we are all forging new paths together—myself, the library, Destination Stratford, and the youth poet laureate,” Stones noted. “I’m excited to embrace every moment of this opportunity.”
While the role will require him to write about specific topics, such as those related to Canada Day, Stones is not intimidated. Having done commissioned work in the past, he sees it as a new challenge.
“With Canada Day coming up, I’ll definitely write an original poem. It will be new and fresh, especially given the current climate,” he said. “One of my strengths as a poet is writing about a variety of subjects.”
Looking ahead, Stones is eager to collaborate with Mayer, noting that the youth poet laureate program is a welcome addition. He believes it is important to have multiple voices representing the community, especially younger ones.
“Mayer seems like a wonderful poet and person. I’ve read their work, and they are very talented,” Stones remarked. “If it were up to me, I’d have added the youth position myself because no single person can represent all voices, especially not the youth.”
As Stratford’s first poet laureate, David Stones is ready to leave a lasting mark on the city’s cultural landscape while inspiring new generations of writers.
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