Meet Ontario’s newest Poet Laureate serving the Township of Scugog

Scugog is proud to announce its first Poet Laureate, Hollay Ghadery. Hollay will soon compose poetry to capture the beauty of Scugog Township and commemorate our culture, our heritage, and our community.  

Ghadery as Scugog Poet Laureate will participate in select community events such as: Remembrance Day, Canada Day, Council Investiture, Unveilings, and incorporate poetry into a range of official community activities.  

A Poet Laureate is an ambassador for the literary arts, and an honorary designation to educate, create, and promote poetry. When commissioned for an event, Hollay Ghadery will read from their original works that will reflect and elevate the occasion. 

The Scugog Poet Laureate was appointed by a committee consisting of representatives from the local arts community and the Township of Scugog. The committee reviewed the applications, and held in depth interviews, which included selected poems.   

Hollay Ghadery is a published, award winning Iranian-Canadian poet. She grew up in Uxbridge, Ontario and is the author of several books, most recently, Rebellion Box (Radiant Press, 2023), a collection of poetry that explores limits of fixed identity through a universal, global, and hyper-local lens.  

The title poem of the collection—which is about Joseph Gould’s involvement in the 1837 Rebellion—won The New Quarterly’s 2022 Nick Blatchford Award. 

Hollay Ghadery is the owner of River Street Writing, a collective of creatives who aim to create and celebrate amazing writing. She is a co-host of Angie’s Bookclub on 105.5 HITS FM and an editor with The Minola Review, untethered magazine, and long con magazine.  

You can learn more about Hollay at www.hollayghadery.com Hollay Ghadery assumes her position for the Township of Scugog in the fall of 2023.

Quotes: 

“The Township of Scugog is honoured to have Hollay Ghadery accept the role of Poet Laureate. Supporting the literary arts serves to educate and elevate our community. Having the poems composed to reflect our community and read at special events not only celebrates our occasions but roots them in the medium of the written word for prosperity.” - Township of Scugog Mayor, Wilma Wotten  

“For 15 years Scugog Arts has been engaged with the literary community, amplifying local writers through contests, readings and workshops. It was time to get the public engaged and what better way to celebrate our culture than to have a Poet Laureate.”– Marion Meyers, President Board of Directors of Scugog Council of the Arts  

“Growing up in the area and having so much of my writing inspired by local culture makes being selected as The Township of Scugog’s first Poet Laureate a tremendous honour. Not only am I thrilled to be representing this remarkable place and its people through my work during my time as Poet Laureate, but I am looking forward to meeting many more members of the community and hearing their stories. Thank you to Scugog Arts and The Township of Scugog for this distinction.” Hollay Ghadery, Scugog Poet Laureate