Former Horsham man commemorated as Malibu Poet Laureate

Nathan Hassall, formerly from Horsham, has become Malibu’s Youngest Poet Laureate in the city's history to have his work commemorated in Legacy Park.

The City of Malibu has unveiled a new permanent tribute to the literary arts in the heart of the city. A one-tonne basalt stone, engraved with Nathan’s poem In the Present, was ceremonially placed in Malibu Legacy Park, marking the culmination of his term as Malibu Poet Laureate (2023-2025).

Using an excavator to lift the massive stone which was supplied by Art City Studios of Ventura, California, the city nestled the poetry stone under a holly tree in the heart of downtown Malibu.

At age 35, Nathan is the youngest poet laureate in the city's history to have his work commemorated in Legacy Park – and the fifth Poet Laureate to be honoured in this way, joining the ranks of former laureates Ricardo Means Ybarra, Ellen Reich, John Struloeff and Ann Buxie.

The unveiling ceremony was attended by Nathan and his wife and creative partner, Rachael, alongside his predecessors Ricardo Means Ybarra and Ann Buxie and current Laureate Charlotte Ward.

Nathan is an English-American poet and educator based in Malibu, California. Originally from Horsham, Nathan relocated to the US in 2018 after finding love while earning his master’s in creative writing with distinction from the University of Kent.

Nathan continues to be a driving force in the local and international literary community through The Poetry Vessel, a company he founded during his laureateship. The organisation provides workshops and resources that “leverage the transformative power of verse.”

Nathan also hosts The Poetry Vessel Podcast on YouTube, where he engages in deep-dive interviews with award-winning international poets, artists and other thinkers.

Nathan’s tenure as Poet Laureate was marked by significant growth for the city’s arts programming, including the launch of monthly community workshops and high-profile events featuring state and national Poets Laureate. His legacy is now physically cemented in Malibu’s Legacy Park via the newly-installed poetry stone.