LOS ANGELES, United States (CMC) — Los Angeles, California Mayor Eric Garcetti has named Vincentian American Lynne Thompson as the new poet laureate of the city.

Thompson, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, is the daughter of late Vincentians Brennan Irwin “Tom” Thompson and Cecily Thompson, née Hazell.

Garcetti said that Thompson — a winner of the Marsh Hawk Prize, Perugia Book Award and the Great Lakes Colleges Association’s New Writers Award — will serve as an official ambassador of Los Angeles’ arts community, “promoting poetry across the city and celebrating its rich literary tradition and culture.

“Lynne is an acclaimed writer and outspoken force who uses words to tell stories, bring communities together, and open up new avenues of art and thinking,” said Mayor Garcetti in a statement.

“Los Angeles is an international capital of creativity, a place for dynamic dreamers who shape global culture, ignite trends, and inspire — and I know Lynne will use her drive to show Angelenos and beyond the immense power of poetry,” he added.

The Los Angeles Poet Laureate Program is a collaboration between the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) and the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL).

“The aim of this effort is to enhance the presence and appreciation of poetry and the literary arts in Los Angeles, and to engage Angelenos who have limited exposure to poetry and other forms of expressive writing,” the statement said.

Thompson, a Los Angeles resident, said she was “humbled and honoured to have been selected as Los Angeles’ next Poet Laureate”.