- Mary Dalton (2019-2023)
- George Murray (2014-2017)
- Tom Dawe (2010-2013)
- Agnes Walsh (2006-2009)
Poet Laureate
The Poet Laureate is an honour bestowed on a St. John’s poet to recognize and celebrate the literary arts and their contribution to civic life. Through this role, the City affirms poetry, and the arts more broadly, as a vital part of a healthy and engaged community. The Poet Laureate serves as an ambassador for literary arts, supporting their presence and integration across a range of official and community events.
The Poet Laureate is selected by a committee composed of individuals with demonstrated excellence in poetry, literary and/or spoken word arts, those with an interest in advancing literary arts in St. John’s, and City staff representatives. The appointment is formally approved and proclaimed by City Council.
The City of St. John’s Poet Laureate receives an annual honorarium of $5,000.
Current 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.
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