Tyler Enfield’s art has taken many forms over the years: he’s written novels for both young readers and adults, co-scripted film, and even worked in wordless mediums like photography and leathercraft. But currently, he finds himself circling back to where his relationship with writing first began.

“I started with poetry 30 years ago,” he recalls. “I was traveling and inspired, feeling creative, but didn’t have a whole lot of resources available to me in terms of money, or paint or crafts. So these things I couldn't do while I was traveling, but I could write.”

And write he did. Now an award-winning author, Enfield’s been named St. Albert’s newest Poet Laureate, a title bestowed by a partnership between the City and the St. Albert Public Library. With that title, which Enfield will hold for the next two years, he’ll be a champion of the arts in the city, representing the city while doing readings at local events.

“What I've deduced so far is it’s a bit of an ambassadorial role. Very loosely, being a cheerleader for the arts,” he says, of his new title. “This is a very wonderful position to be in: to be able to support the arts, and maybe gather and refine people's motivation.”

Enfield will be the city’s fifth Poet Laureate, following Arienette Zak, Lauren Seal, Julia Sorensen, and Zach Polis.

The fact that a program like this even exists, to Enfield, shows a community’s understanding of the positive impact of art.

“I think it speaks a lot to that city's priorities. It'd be a very easy thing to overlook,” he says.

“For such a city to make an effort and actually pay an honorarium to somebody for a position of arts, which is purely an aim to develop culture, and perhaps even something deeper. I don't know what exactly it says except to say that it says a lot. It’s only good.”

His own writing, Enfield notes, has been evolving to explore the very nature of words.

“I'm interested in finding ways to express what is deeper in me with more accuracy,” he says. “The more I'm digging, and finding ways to bring that out with precision and elegance, I find that where that writing is coming from is also becoming more refined and elegant.

“I'm still very much a learner, a beginner, and I do hope that always continues,” Enfield adds. “I do hope I always feel like a beginner and a learner, and that’ll increase the chance that I'll always be open to learning, and motivated to keep learning.”

More information about Tyler Enfield and the Poet Laureate role can be found at www.sapl.ca/programs-events/events/poet-laureate.html.

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