Merna Ann Hecht has been named Vashon’s next poet laureate and will be handed the title by the island’s outgoing poet laureate, Cal Kinnear, at a celebration held at Vashon Winery from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14.

Hecht is a longtime islander who founded and co-directs “The Stories of Arrival: Refugee and Immigrant Youth Voices” poetry project at Foster High School in Tukwila. She is an essayist, poet, teaching artist and nationally known storyteller. She teaches creative writing and social justice classes at the University of Washington, Tacoma.

Hecht will hold the title of poet laureate for the next two years. Kinnear shared the title with the late poet, Lonny Kaneko. Kinnear is the author of four books of poetry, and among other efforts to support island poets, worked with The Beachcomber to establish the monthly poetry column, The Poetry Well. Kaneko received national and local awards for his poetry, fiction and plays and was a beloved island resident for more than three decades.

All islanders are welcome at the open-mic evening and are encouraged to bring a poem to share.