In June, the Parliament of Canada recently issued a call for nominations to begin the search for Canada’s ninth Parliamentary Poet Laureate. There is still time to nominate candidates: the deadline for nominations is September 16, 2019. The role of the Parliamentary Poet Laureate is to promote the importance and value of poetry among all Canadians. Pursuant to the Parliament of Canada Act, the Poet Laureate may perform the following duties: compose poetry, especially for use in Parliament on occasions of state, sponsor poetry readings, advise the Parliamentary Librarian on the Library’s collection and acquisitions to enrich the collection’s cultural holdings, and perform related duties at the request of the Speaker of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Commons, or the Parliamentary Librarian. The Poet Laureate holds office for a maximum of two years. For more information on the Poet Laureate and the nomination process, please visit the Parliament of Canada Web site at www.parl.gc.ca/poet. You may also contact the Library of Parliament Information Service at 1-866-599-4999. |