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Ogden City Arts is excited to announce that the Ogden City Arts Advisory Committee has selected Sunni Brown Wilkinson to represent the literary arts in Ogden. She will serve a two-year term with an option of a second term to follow.
As Poet Laureate, Wilkinson will make public appearances and present poetry throughout the community while continuing her commitment to expanding literary arts opportunities for local students and residents.
“I’m thrilled to bring together two things I love deeply: poetry and community. I believe in the power of both to heal, unite, and inspire,” said Ogden’s new poet laureate, Sunnie Wilkinson. “Ogden has an amazing spirit of diversity and creativity, and I’m excited to add another layer of the literary arts to its already rich personality.”
Wilkinson is an award-winning poet, essayist, and author of three poetry collections, including Rodeo, winner of the 2024 Donald Justice Poetry Prize. She teaches creative writing at Weber State University and co-directs Ogden’s Railtown Reading Series, which showcases notable writers from across the West.
“We are excited to welcome Sunnie as Ogden’s fourth Poet Laureate,” said Jan Hamer, Literary Arts Chair of the Ogden City Arts Advisory Committee. “She is a highly regarded poet and has taught poetry at Weber State University for many years. Ogden is fortunate to have such a vibrant local poetry scene and a successful Poet Laureate program, and we look forward to seeing what Sunnie will bring to our community over the next two years.”
Wilkinson’s work has received numerous national honors, including the Joy Harjo Prize and New Ohio Review’s NORward Poetry Prize. Her latest collection, Rodeo, was long-listed for the 2026 PEN/Voelcker Poetry Award.
Through her service as Poet Laureate, Wilkinson will help elevate the literary arts in Ogden by engaging residents through readings, educational opportunities, and community programming that celebrates the power of poetry and storytelling.
The Poet Laureate of Ogden serves as the official ambassador of literary culture, using their position as a platform from which to promote the transformative qualities of poetry and the written word through all parts of the community. Ogden City Arts is hoping to raise the community consciousness to a greater appreciation of the reading and writing of poetry while supporting literary arts, ephemeral arts, and a vibrant art scene in Ogden City.
The Poet Laureate serves a 2-year term with the option of a second term. They are asked to make appearances at public events such as Mayor’s Awards in the Arts, City Council Meetings, ribbon-cutting ceremonies, etc. At these events, the Poet Laureate performs a reading of their own writings, or of another author/poet that best fits the occasion.
This position requires dedication in promoting literary education in our schools and communities. The Poet Laureate also seeks to bring poetry to the people in Ogden who have limited access or exposure to the literary arts.
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/sunnibrownwilkinson/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunni.b.wilkinson
Website: sunnibrownwilkinson.com
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Media Contact:
Lorie Buckley
Ogden City Arts Administrator
arts@ogdencity.gov
About Ogden City Arts Ogden City Arts supports the belief that the arts are an integral part of a healthy culture, providing both intellectual nourishment and social benefit, and that community arts programs provide significant value both to communities and to artists.
Ogden City Arts’ mission is to enrich the lives of Ogden residents and visitors by ensuring access to the visual, performing, and literary arts, as well as arts education. In supporting arts organizations and independent artists, Ogden City Arts works to connect the arts to daily life, education, and economic development.
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