The Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate (french: Poète officiel du Parlement du Canada) is the national
poet laureate
A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ...
of
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. The current poet laureate is
Louise Bernice Halfe
Louise Bernice Halfe, is a Cree poet and social worker from Canada. Halfe's Cree name is Sky Dancer. At the age of seven, she was forced to attend Blue Quills Residential School in St. Paul, Alberta. Halfe signed with Coteau Books in 1994 and has ...
.
The position is an office of the
Library of Parliament
The Library of Parliament (french: Bibliothèque du Parlement) is the main information repository and research resource for the Parliament of Canada. The main branch of the library sits at the rear of the Centre Block on Parliament Hill in Ottawa ...
.
Role
According to the laureate's official Web site: "The Poet's role is to encourage and promote the importance of literature, culture and language in Canadian society. Federal legislators created the position in 2001 to draw Canadians' attention to poetry, both spoken and written, and its role in our lives."
Web page titled "Welcome to the Web site for the Parliamentary Poet Laureate", accessed December 16, 2006
The Parliament of Canada Act states that the laureate may:
[
* Write poems "especially for use in Parliament on important occasions"
* Sponsor poetry readings
* Give advice to "the Parliamentary Librarian regarding the Library's collection and acquisitions to enrich its cultural materials"
* Do anything else: "perform other related duties at the request of the Speaker of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Commons, or the Parliamentary Librarian."
The laureate serves at the pleasure of both the Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Commons, with the maximum term of office set at two years.]
Web page titled "Questions and Answers" at the ''Parliamentary Poet Laureate'' Web site, accessed December 16, 2006[
]
Selection criteria
In order to be chosen for the position, a poet must have:
* contributed to the cultural and literary community
* produced written or oral work reflecting Canada
* be an accomplished literary artist who has influenced other artists
* a substantial record demonstrating literary excellence
Poets Laureate
* George Bowering
George Harry Bowering, (born December 1, 1935) is a prolific Canadian novelist, poet, historian, and biographer. He was the first Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate.
He was born in Penticton, British Columbia, and raised in the nearby town o ...
(2002–2004)
* Pauline Michel
Pauline Michel (born 1944 in Asbestos, Quebec) is a Canadian novelist, poet, playwright, songwriter and screenwriter.
Michel has a Bachelor of Education from the Université de Sherbrooke as well a teaching certificate from École normale Margu ...
(2004–2006)
* John Steffler
John Steffler (born November 13, 1947) is a Canadian poet and novelist. He served as Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate from 2006 to 2008.
Biography
John Steffler was born in Toronto, Ontario, on November 13, 1947, and grew up in a rural area n ...
(2006–2008)
* Pierre DesRuisseaux
Pierre DesRuisseaux (7 July 1945 – 18 January 2016) was a Canadian poet. He was named the fourth Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate on April 28, 2009.
DesRuisseaux graduated with a degree in philosophy from the Université de Montréal. DesRu ...
(2009–2011)
* Fred Wah Frederick James Wah, OC, (born January 23, 1939) is a Canadian poet, novelist, scholar and former Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate.
Life
Wah was born in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, but grew up in the interior (West Kootenay) of British Columbi ...
(2011–2013)
* (2014–2016)
* George Elliott Clarke
George Elliott Clarke, (born February 12, 1960) is a Canadian poet, playwright and literary critic who served as the Poet Laureate of Toronto from 2012 to 2015 and as the 2016–2017 Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate. His work is known larg ...
(2016–2017)
* Georgette LeBlanc
Georgette Leblanc (8 February 1869, Rouen – 27 October 1941, Le Cannet) was a French operatic soprano, actress, author, and the sister of novelist Maurice Leblanc. She became particularly associated with the works of Jules Massenet and w ...
(2018–2019)[Dory Cerny]
"Georgette LeBlanc named Canada’s new parliamentary poet laureate"
''Quill & Quire
''Quill & Quire'' is a Canadian magazine about the book and publishing industry. The magazine was launched in 1935 and has an average circulation of 5,000 copies per issue, with a publisher-claimed readership of 25,000. ''Quill & Quire'' reviews ...
'', February 13, 2018.
* Louise Bernice Halfe
Louise Bernice Halfe, is a Cree poet and social worker from Canada. Halfe's Cree name is Sky Dancer. At the age of seven, she was forced to attend Blue Quills Residential School in St. Paul, Alberta. Halfe signed with Coteau Books in 1994 and has ...
(2021-present)
See also
*Poet Laureate of Ontario
The Poet Laureate of Ontario (french: Poète officiel de l’Ontario) is the poet laureate for the province of Ontario in Canada. The position was established in 2019 as an office of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in honour of musician and wr ...
References
External links
*
{{Canadian Parliamentary Poets Laureate, state=autocollapse
2001 establishments in Canada