Poet Laureate

The Poet Laureate is an honour bestowed on a St. John's poet as a way of acknowledging and celebrating poets, literary arts, and their value and contribution to civic life. Through the Poet Laureate, the City recognizes literary arts, and all art, as a fundamental and necessary component of society. The City of St. John’s Poet Laureate will act as an ambassador for literary arts, overseeing their integration into a range of official and unofficial civic events. 

The Poet Laureate is selected by a selection committee that includes individuals who have achieved excellence in the field of poetry, literary arts, and/or spoken word arts; individuals with an interest in promoting the literary arts in St. John’s; and representation from City staff. The position is then officially appointed and proclaimed by City Council.

The City of St. John’s Poet Laureate receives an honorarium of $5,000 per year. 

Current Poet Laureate - Mark Callanan

City of St. John's Poet Laureate Mark Callanan. Photo credit: Heather Nolan

On February 20, 2024, the City of St. John’s officially proclaimed Mark Callanan as its newest Poet Laureate.

Mark Callanan is the author of three full-length collections of poetry. Romantic, his most recent, was selected for the CBC’s “best Canadian poetry of 2021” list and was one of twelve books shortlisted for the 2021 Derek Walcott Prize for Poetry, which is awarded yearly to a full-length book of poems in English published anywhere in the world by a living poet who is not a U.S. citizen. He co-edited The Breakwater Book of Contemporary Newfoundland Poetry and was one of the founding editors of the St. John’s-based literary journal Riddle Fence.

More information about Mark Callanan and his work can be found on his website: markcallanan.ca

Previous Poets Laureate

• 2019-2023: Mary Dalton
• 2014-2017: George Murray
• 2010-2013: Tom Dawe
• 2006-2009: Agnes Walsh