The Bainbridge Island City Council approved at its Dec. 9 meeting to have local resident and writer Erin Malone be the city’s new poet laureate through 2027.

Malone is the author of “Sight of Disappearance,” a full-length collection of poems, and an associate professor in the English Department at the University of Washington. In 2024, local artist Michele Bombardier was named the first BI poet laureate and shared her enthusiasm for the program.

“It has been a deep honor and pleasure to serve as your inaugural poet laureate. I have absolutely loved my tenure promoting and facilitating poetry programming on Bainbridge Island these past three years. The poet laureate program has been met with thunderous support from the community, with consistently strong attendance at all our events. This success is largely due to the diligent work of the poet laureate committee, a group of intrepid poets and supporters of poetry, led by Kathleen Thorne,” she said.

Bombardier said the open mic and reading series has featured historically marginalized voices countywide, adding “With a three-county reach, attendance is significantly diverse and comprises all ages, teens to seniors. Real community has formed around poetry,” she said.

Council first established the poet laureate program in 2022 to include arts and culture in business practices. The position aims to advocate for the arts and build and encourage awareness of arts and culture, per city documents. Program requirements include: representing the city at city events, residing in Kitsap County, and serving a two-year term unless approved by the council. The Poet Laureate is an honorary position with a $2,500 annual stipend, with an additional $500 available for supplies or event-related expenses, documents state.