The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, in collaboration with the Office of the Mayor, Seattle Public Library, and Seattle City of Literature, has announced Dujie Tahat as the Civic Poet of Seattle for 2025-2026. This designation marks them as the fifth individual to hold the role since its inception. An inauguration ceremony is slated for a future date in March at City Hall, with specifics promised in the upcoming weeks, as reported by Art Beat Seattle.
Mayor Bruce Harrell praised the appointment, emphasizing the power of poetry in capturing the essence of emotional depth and community narratives. "The poets that have held the Civic Poet role, and the Poet Populist role before that, have done incredible work to make poetry more accessible throughout every community in our city, opening more doors for civic engagement," Mayor Harrell told Art Beat Seattle. Tahat, raised in Seattle, expressed gratitude and outlined a visionary plan to integrate poetry into the fabric of the city's policymaking, aiming to establish a common language and understanding among civic leaders and the public.
Selected through a comprehensive application process that involves project proposals and interviews, Seattle's Civic Poets play the role of literary ambassadors. They bridge conversations between the city, the public, and fellow artists while celebrating the literary arts. Tahat joins a distinguished lineage of Civic Poets, including Shin Yu Pai's recent tenure, who have tantalized the city with their linguistic explorations and the voices they have amplified to challenge and kindle literary integrity. José Luis Montero, Board President of Seattle City of Literature, acknowledges their voices in resisting silencing forces, according to a statement obtained by Art Beat Seattle.
Dujie Tahat comes to the role with a robust portfolio, being the author of three poetry chapbooks and earning multiple fellowships and accolades. They co-host The Poet Salon podcast and hold editorial positions that showcase their commitment to the craft of poetry. Celebrating the fresh narrative they bring, Tom Fay, Seattle Public Library Chief Librarian, looks forward to how Tahat's focus on language will contribute to policies enriching the city's cultural fabric. Having represented Seattle on significant platforms like HBO's Brave New Voices, Tahat’s selection further entrenches the city's dedication to literary arts as part of its community identity, as highlighted in the overview provided by Art Beat Seattle.
The Civic Poet program, kindled from the previous Poet Populist program initiated by former city councilmember Nick Licata, has been instrumental in weaving literary arts with democracy and promoting arts to the city's general audience. Though the Poet Populist program ended in 2008, the Civic Poet program continues to uphold the values of fostering community dialogue and celebrating literary arts while fostering the essence of Seattle's creative ethos.
