Matthew Hedley Stoppard has been named as town poet for Otley in West Yorkshire, a role that has been created to link with the town’s Courthouse Words writing festival.

His debut collection of poetry, A Family Behind Glass, was published by Valley Press in May 2013, and Cinema Stories, a collaboration with James Nash, was launched at the Leeds International Film Festival in 2015. He was included in LS13, a publication of works by 20 of the best writers under the age of 40 living or working in Leeds in 2013, and in 2015 he was shortlisted for the Northern Writers Awards.

He said: “To represent Otley as a poet is an immense honour, far beyond my imagination. I have lived here for almost a year and have every intention of making it a home for myself and my family. In the last year, I endeavoured to become familiar with every resident and rodent, every pint of beer and earwig; The Chevin, the allotment sheds, the characters and customs, and I've always felt very much at home. It thrills me to think of the year ahead in this role, and I can't wait to get stuck in and produce poetry and deliver events inspired by our community.”