Bowering becomes Canada’s first poet laureate

January 18, 2006 George Bowering, a poet and writer with more than 50 books to his name, has been chosen as the first "parliamentary poet laureate" of Canada by the Speakers of the Senate and the House of Commons. "Here is a poet with a clever hand at parody, who knows his history, having written a quirky book on the personal lives of the country’s prime ministers and ‘swashbuckling’ tales of his province’s roots," the Toronto Globe and Mail writes. Bowering won the Governor-General’s award for poetry in 1969 and in 1980 for fiction.

Senator Jerahmiel Grafstein, who introduced the poet laureate bill, called him an "outstanding choice". He hopes the appointment will lead to a more conspicuous public place for poetry. Other Canadian poets expect Bowering’s term as poet laureate to turn "delightfully controversial", in view of his strong opinions and criticism of those granted "unearned power".

Bowering holds the position, which will alternate between a French and an English writer, for two years. He may be asked as poet laureate to write poems for state occasions and sponsor poetry readings, but he is not required to do so. He will have an office on Parliament Hill in Ottawa and will be paid a yearly taxable stipend of $12,000, as well as a travel budget.