Mission

The mission of the Needham Poet Laureate Program is to enhance the cultural life of Needham by promoting awareness and appreciation of poetry to a wide range of audiences.  Poetry enhances self-awareness and expression, improves language, sparks creativity, and expands world views.  It helps us understand and appreciate the world and its diversity, and it helps us connect with each other with its potential to transform our thinking, attitudes, and behaviors.

The Poet Laureate is someone who lives or works in Needham, has created a substantial body of literary arts including poetry, and has a commitment to the community and to the role of poetry in society.  The role includes holding events such as writing workshops and readings, and creating programming in collaboration with the Needham Free Public Library, the Needham Public Schools, Health & Human Services, and Park & Recreation.

            [Anne E.G. Nydam, Needham’s inaugural Poet Laureate, was announced in December 2024.]

Current Needham Poet Laureate

Anne E.G. Nydam has been enjoying and writing poetry since childhood, even having poems published in Cricket magazine’s contests for children. A somewhat twisty path took her from a BA in linguistics from Yale to teaching middle school art for ten years, and from there to showing her relief block prints in art shows and writing novels while staying at home with her twins, who were born and raised in Needham. She’s served as the lead organizer of Needham Open Studios since 2007, taught block printmaking workshops for both children and adults with Needham Community Education (and others) since 2012, and since 2016 she’s appeared at North Hill and local conventions to present lectures and readings on topics in art, fiction, writing, and linguistics.

Anne has published sixteen books, mostly fiction, for preschool children through adults, and in the past several years has been writing mostly short stories and poetry. Her work has been published in several magazines and anthologies, including Fantasy Magazine, Friends Journal, and When Flowers Sing: A Poetry Anthology. Her most recent book, released in January 2025 is Bittersweetness & Light, a hope-filled, joy-inducing collection of magical short stories, poetry, and art, which you can find at the Needham Free Public Library here. You can find out more about her and her work at NydamPrints.com.