Welcome

Welcome to the Web site for the Parliamentary Poet Laureate.

On December 20, 2011, the Speaker of the Senate, the Hon. Noël A. Kinsella, and the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Hon. Andrew Scheer, announced the appointment of Fred Wah as Canada’s fifth Parliamentary Poet Laureate.

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.

As explained in the Parliament of Canada Act, the Parliamentary Poet Laureate may:

• write poetry, especially for use in Parliament on important occasions;
• sponsor poetry readings;
• advise the Parliamentary Librarian regarding the Library’s collection and acquisitions to enrich its cultural materials; and,
• 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 term of the Parliamentary Poet Laureate is two years.