(courtesy ahmedknowmadic.com)

The Edmonton Arts Council has named spoken-word artist Ahmed “Knowmadic” Ali as the city’s seventh poet laureate.

The 33-year-old, who came to Canada in 1992 as a Somalian refugee, is a member of the Breath In Poetry Collective, which nominated him for the two-year position. In an interview with Metro Edmonton, Ali says he hopes to initiate an international literary exchange for the city and to publish his debut poetry collection.

Outgoing poet laureate Pierrette Requier completes her term on June 30.