Last updated: 8/27/25

City of Boston Poet Laureate

The City’s Poet Laureate raises the status of poetry in the everyday consciousness of Bostonians.

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Meet the Poet Laureate

Emmanuel Oppong-Yeboah

Boston Poet Laureate

Emmanuel Oppong-Yeboah (they/he) is a Ghanaian American poet, editor, and educator living out the diaspora in Boston, Massachusetts. For six years they taught 11th grade English at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, and prior to that served as a teaching artist at organizations throughout Boston. They have very recently (September 2023) transitioned from teaching high school English, and are currently working as a school librarian at the Joseph Lee School in Dorchester, Boston (it's a K-8!). While they miss their high schoolers, Emmanuel says the transition to working with littles, particularly kids growing up in the city they themself grew up in, has been incredibly joyful and life-giving. The pursuit of joy, and that which sustains life, is essential to their creative practice, and to their practice of living. Emmanuel's first chapbook, "not without small joys" (published in 2021 by Game Over Books Press) explores the centrality of joy as an animating force, especially in the face of human suffering. In their free time, they enjoy hot carbs, afternoons spent playing board games, and the long sigh at the end of a good book.

Oppong-Yeboah is Boston’s fourth Poet Laureate, following Porsha Olayiwola, Danielle Legros Georges, and Sam Cornish, all of whom helped elevate the city’s poetry scene through this role.

National Poetry Month Events

Events

About the program

The Poet Laureate is a ceremonial appointment. The chosen poet will be a significant fixture in Boston's cultural and artistic arena. The Poet Laureate may learn, teach, and embody the great literary traditions of Boston.

Want the Poet Laureate to attend an event?

Please contact Thomas Johnston at 617-635-3911 or thomas.johnston@boston.gov. Remember to describe the nature of the event, plus its time, location, and duration. You should also tell us the role requested. For example, is this an appearance, a reading, a workshop, or something else.