Ella Kortis is Heerlen's new city poet
On Thursday, October 22, we will introduce Ella Kortis as the new city poet. We will do so during the open-mic event “UITBRAAK 8: Children’s Party.” Starting November 1, 2026, she will serve as Heerlen’s city poet for two years. She succeeds Louie Hamers and Yana Wings.
Ella Kortis was born in Heerlen in 2000. She grew up in Voerendaal and now lives in Heerlen again. She studied Creative Writing at ArtEZ University of the Arts in Arnhem. In 2024, she graduated with her poetry collection *Maïs is veur de vussje, neet veur dich*. She is now pursuing an international master’s degree in Creative Writing at ArtEZ.
In Heerlen, Ella performed at Cultura Nova and at the closing ceremony of the Heritage Year. She also gave readings at the literary venue Perdu in Amsterdam and at Frontaal in Maastricht.
How does Ella write?
Ella writes poems in which she combines different languages:
- Limburg dialect
- Dutch
- Internet slang
In her work, she writes about femininity, family history, and silence.
Why did we choose Ella?
The City Poet Committee was introduced to Ella’s work through the open mic night UITBRAAK. The committee sees her as a young artist with strong ties to Heerlen. Ella wrote a proposal outlining her ideas for the role of city poet. The committee selected her for her work, her vision, and her commitment to our city.
A city poet sees Heerlen through a different lens. Ella brings her own language, perspective, and generation to the table. In this way, she makes literature visible and accessible to everyone. I’m curious to see which aspects of Heerlen she’ll show us.
What will Ella do as the city poet?
Above all, Ella wants to talk with young people in Heerlen. She wants to explore:
- Why do people feel at home here?
- What kind of sound does a new generation bring to the city?
The question “What makes Heerlen Heerlen?” is central.
For Ella, serving as city poet is also a personal exploration of her own connection to the city. She says, “Heerlen is often not seen as an obvious place to live. But that’s precisely why I feel a kind of irrevocable nationalistic anger welling up inside me whenever someone has something to say about Heerlen.”
Ella wants to as well:
- Organizing a literary open mic event
- Work with other artists from the city to create an accessible zine (a self-published magazine featuring text and images)
Come to the presentation
We'll be introducing Ella on Thursday, October 22, during "UITBRAAK 8: Kids' Party." The event starts at 5:00 p.m. in the café at the Nieuwe Nor. Admission is free.