Nominations are currently being accepted for the 11^th Parliamentary Poet Laureate. Nominations must be postmarked by 17 June 2024.

Eligibility

Those selected to be Poets laureate have made a significant contribution to Canada’s literary community through their poetry, which can be written or spoken poetry of any genre. We invite nominations of poets from all backgrounds and life experiences who are residents of Canada. Poets from any provinces or territories are welcome.

To ensure that Canada’s official languages are equitably represented, appointments to the position alternate between a poet who works primarily in English and a poet who works primarily in French. For the 2025–2026 term, the Poet will be expected to work primarily in English.

The role and responsibilities of the Parliamentary Poet Laureate are described in the About section of this website.

Criteria for selection

Candidates must:

• Have made significant contributions to the literary community;
• Have a substantial record demonstrating literary excellence;
• Be available to travel throughout Canada to promote the value of poetry; and
• Be available to participate in parliamentary events, as required.

Submitting a nomination

Nominations can be submitted by qualified candidates, a parliamentarian, a member of a literary or writing organization, or a member of the public. The nominator must inform the nominee of the submission.

To be considered, nomination packages (access to the nomination form) must be sent by mail or by courier to the address below, and be received (postmarked) by 17 June 2024:

Parliamentary Poet Laureate Selection Committee
Library of Parliament
50 O’Connor Street
10^th floor
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A9

The Library of Parliament is not responsible for the loss or damage, whatever the cause, of supporting material. Material will not be returned after the nomination process.