Africa Algeria In
Algeria, during the 11th century,
Ibn Sharaf al-Qayrawani was the court poet of the
Zīrids. Al-Thaghri Al-Tilimsani was appointed as a court poet during the
Zayyanid dynasty.
Burkina Faso Boûbacar Tinguidji, a Fula
maabo, was appointed as the court poet of the Ruler of
Dori.
Cameroon Poets laureate of
Cameroon include
René Philombé.
Cape Verde Poets laureate of
Cape Verde include
Eugénio Tavares.
Egypt Ahmed Shawqi became
Egypt's Poet Laureate in 1894.
Eritrea Poets laureate of
Eritrea include Reesom Haile.
Ethiopia In
Ethiopia, the officially designated Laureate includes
Tsegaye Gebre-Medhin. Tsegaye's award was granted in 1966 by His Majesty, Haile-Selasie II.
Gambia Poets laureate of
The Gambia include
Lenrie Peters.
Ghana Poets laureate of
Ghana include
Atukwei Okai.
Kenya Muyaka bin Haji al-Ghassaniy was the Poet Laureate of
Mombasa, Kenya.
Lesotho Poets laureate of
Lesotho include
Joshua Pulumo Mohapeloa.
Liberia Poets laureate for the Republic of
Liberia have included
Roland T. Dempster,
Melvin B. Tolson (1947), and
Patricia Jabbeh Wesley.
Libya Libya-born
Callimachus was appointed as an imperial court poet to
Ptolemy II Philadelphus.
Madagascar Poets laureate of
Madagascar include
Jacques Rabemananjara.
Malawi Poets laureate of
Malawi include
Jack Mapanje.
Mali Poets laureate of
Mali include Ban Sumana Sisòkò.
Mauritania Mohamed Ould Taleb was appointed as the official court poet during
Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz's presidency in
Mauritania.
Mauritius Poets laureate of
Mauritius include
Édouard Maunick.
Morocco In the 13th century,
Abdelaziz al-Malzuzi was the court poet of
Abu Yahya ibn Abd al-Haqq. During the 16th-17th centuries in
Morocco's history,
Abd al-Aziz al-Fishtali was appointed as the poet laureate of the Sultan
Ahmad al-Mansur.
Niger Burkina Faso-born Boûbacar Tinguidji, a Fula
maabo, was appointed as the court poet of the
Songhai chief Mossi Gaidou in
Dargol, Niger.
Mamman Jiya Vatsa was the inaugural poet laureate of
Abuja, Nigeria.
Tanure Ojaide was the Poet Laureate of the
Niger Delta.
Rwanda During the 18th century in
Rwanda's history, Semidogoro was the official court poet of
Mibambwe III Mutabazi II Sentabyo. Sekarama was the official court poet during the reigns of
Kigeli IV Rwabugiri and
Mutara III Rudahigwa. Poets laureate of
Rwanda include Edouard Bamporiki Uwayo.
Senegal Poets laureate of
Senegal include
Léopold Sédar Senghor and
Robert Hayden (1966).
Sierra Leone Poets laureate of
Sierra Leone include the Italian authors
Roberto Malini and
Dario Picciau.
South Africa In the 19th century, Magolwane kaMkhathini Jiyane was the court poet of
Shaka Zulu. During the 20th century, David Livingstone Phakamile (Yali-Manisi) was the poet laureate of
Kaiser Matanzima. Poets laureate of
South Africa include
Mazisi Kunene (2005),
Keorapetse Kgositsile (2006), and
Mongane Wally Serote (2018– ).
Sudan During the 1800s in
Sudan, Al U'aysir was the court poet (
inqīb) of the
Ja'alin tribe King
Mek Nimr.
Tanzania Poets laureate of
Tanzania include Saadani Kandoro (1969).
Tunisia During the 10th century,
Muhammad ibn Hani al-Andalusi al-Azdi was appointed as the chief court poet to the
Fatimid Caliph al-Mu'izz. Also, in the 10th century,
Ali ibn Muhammad al-Iyadi was the court poet of
Fatimid caliphs al-Qa'im,
al-Mansur, and
al-Mu'izz. Poets laureate of
Tunisia include Qasim Shabi.
Uganda Poets laureate of
Uganda include Akena Adoko.
Zimbabwe Ginyilitshe Hlabangana was the official poet laureate (or
Imbongi YeNkosi) for the
Ndebele Kingdom (now called
Matabeleland, Zimbabwe).
Asia Afghanistan During the 10–11th century,
Unsuri was made poet laureate by
Sultan Maḥmūd of Ghazna. Modern poets laureate of
Afghanistan include Abdullah "Malik al-Shu'Ara" Qari, Sufi Abdul Bitab, and
Ustad Khalilullah Khalili.
Armenia Poets laureate of
Armenia include
Avetik Isahakian and
Hovhannes Toumanian (1970).
Azerbaijan In 1502,
Azerbaijan-born court poet
Habibi earned the title "king of poets" from Safavid king
Ismail I. Poets laureate of
Azerbaijan include
Bakhtiyar Vahabzadeh.
Bahrain Bahrain-born Muḥammad Sharīf al-Shībānī served as the poet laureate of the court of
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (c. 1967).
Bangladesh During the 15th century,
Zainuddin was appointed the court poet of
Bengal while under the patronage of Prince
Yusuf Khan.
Yusuf-Zulekha was the court poet of
Sultan of Bengal,
Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah. Sometime during the 15th-16th century,
Shah Muhammad Saghir was the poet laureate of the
Sultan of Bengal Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah.
Daulat Qazi, born in what is now modern day
Bangladesh, was officially appointed as the poet for the
Arakan court in
Myanmar (then ruled by King
Thiri Thudhamma).
Brunei Poets laureate of
Brunei include royal poet
Omar Ali Saifuddien III.
Cambodia Poets laureate of
Cambodia include Ind (1907–1924).
China In
Ancient China,
Emperor Yuan of Han appointed
Shi You as the poet laureate. During the
Tang dynasty,
He Zhichang was appointed as the poet laureate of Emperor Ho Kwei.
Zhou Boqi was a court poet appointed during the
Yuan Dynasty.
Cyprus During the 19th century, after the Turks invaded
Cyprus, Mufti Hilmi Efendi was appointed the poet laureate of Sultan
Mahmud II. In 1980, the World Academy of Arts and Culture awarded
Cyprus-born
Costas Montis the title of Poet Laureate.
Georgia Heraclius II of Georgia appointed
Sayat-Nova as his poet laureate at the court of
Tbilisi.
India In
India, poets laureate were maintained at the royal courts beginning in ancient times. For instance, in
Ancient India,
Harisena was designated poet laureate by Emperor
Samudragupta. During the 7th century,
Emperor Harsha proclaimed
Bāṇabhaṭṭa as the poet laureate.
Jayamkondar was made poet laureate by
Chola Emperor
Kulottunga I. In the 10th century,
Ranna was the poet laureate of Western Chalukya Kings
Tailapa II and
Satyashraya.
Adikavi Pampa was the court poet of
Vemulavada Chalukya king
Arikesari II. Also, in the 10th century,
Ponna received the title
Kavichakravarthi (poet laureate) and
Ubhaya-Chakravarthi (imperial poet in two languages) from Rashtrakuta king
Krishna III. Padmagupta Parimala was a Paramama court poet. In the mid-11th century,
Nannaya was the poet-laureate of
Rajaraja Narendra. In the 15th century,
Cherusseri Namboothiri was the court poet of Udaya Varma. During the 15th-16th centuries,
Allasani Peddana was the poet laureate of
Emperor Krishnadevaraya of
Vijayanagara. In the 16th century,
Shaikh Gadai Kamboh was the poet laureate in the court of Sultan of Sikandar Lodhi. In 1665,
Nusrati was made a poet laureate by Sultan
ʿAlī II (r. 1656–1672) of the
ʿĀdil-Shāhī dynasty. During the
Mughal Empire, Emperor
Akbar made
Birbal the poet laureate. In the aforementioned empire's later history,
Taleb Amoli was Emperor
Jahangir's poet laureate from 1618 to 1627, and Emperor
Shah Jahan appointed
Jagannatha Panditaraja as the poet laureate during his reign. In the 18th century,
Bharatchandra Ray was the court poet of Maharaja Krishnachandra.
Mohammad Ibrahim Zauq was the poet laureate of the final
Mughal Emperor
Bahadur Shah Zafar. In the 19th century,
Ghalib was appointed as the poet laureate of the Mughal Court. In the 1890s, Z. Savarayalounaiker was regarded as the Poet Laureate of
French India (particularly
Pondicherry). In the Indian subcontinent
Kashmir,
Mullah Nadiri was the poet laureate during the reign of
Sultan Sikandar (1378–1416, reigned 1389–1413).
Andhra Pradesh Sripada Krishnamurty Sastry was the first poet laureate of
Andhra Pradesh, India.
Dasarathi served as the court poet (
aasthana kavi) for the government of
Andhra Pradesh.
Jaisalmer Alseedan ji Ratnu was the poet laureate (
raj-kavi) of
Jaisalmer state.
Karnataka In what was once the
Western Chalukya Empire,
Nagavarma II was the poet laureate (
Katakacharya) by Chalukya King Jagadhekamalla.
Kerala K. C. Kesava Pillai was the Poet Laureate of
Travancore (located in present-day
Kerala state).
Vallathol Narayana Menon was the Poet Laureate of
Kerala.
Madhya Pradesh During the 15th century,
Raidhu (who was born in
Gwalior) was the poet laureate for the court of Dungar Singh and Kirti Singh.
Maharashtra Bhaskar Ramchandra Tambe was the poet laureate of
Maharashtra.
Tamil Nadu Kannadasan was the poet laureate of
Tamil Nadu at the time of his death.
Telegana Sripada Krishna Sastry was the poet laureate during the 20th century.
Indonesia In the 14th century,
Mpu Prapanca served as the poet laureate in the royal court of Emperor
Hayam Wuruk. During the 18th century,
Yasadipura I served as the Poet Laureate of
Surakarta Sunanate.
Iran . In the 11th century,
Iran-born
Abu-al-Faraj Runi became a court poet during the
Ghaznavid period.
Manuchehri was another court poet during the aforementioned period.
Qatran Tabrizi was the court poet of the dynasties of the
Rawadids and
Shaddadids. During the 13th century,
Khwaju Kermani was the official court poet of
Il-Khanid rulers
Abu Sa'id Bahadur Khan and
Arpa Ke'un, the
Mozaffarid Mubariz al-Din Muhammad, and
Abu Ishaq Inju of the
Inju dynasty.
Farid Isfarayini was the court poet of the
Salghurids in
Shiraz. In the 14th century,
Salman Savaji was the court poet of the
Jalayirids. Sometime during the 15th century,
Baba Fighani Shirazi became the court poet of
Aq Qoyunlu Ya'qub Beg. During the
Safavid era,
Vahshi Bafqi was the poet laureate of Ghiyat al-Din Mir Miran.
Shifa'i Isfahani was the poet laureate of
Shah Abbas I (), who highly valued him, granting him the honorific title of ''malik al-shu'arā wa mumtāz-i Īrān''. In the 17th century,
Taleb Amoli was made the poet laureate of the
Mughal emperor Jahangir (1618). Also, in the 17th century, during his travels to
India, the Persian poet
Kalim Kashani was made poet laureate by
Mogul emperor
Shah Jahan in 1632. During the 18th century,
Saba (Fath-Ali Khan Kashani) was the poet laureate of
Fath-Ali Shah Qajar. In the 19th century, Prince
Gholam-Hossein Mirza was the poet laureate of
Mozaffar al-Din Mirza in
Tabriz.
Mohammad-Taqi Bahar was the poet laureate of
Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar. He was born in
Mashhad in 1884 (died 1951) and was a conservative figure among the modernists. He was appointed Poet Laureate by royal decree in 1903.
Iraq In
Iraq's ancient history, Ibn 'Atiyah Jarir was the court poet of Ibn Yusuf al-Hajjaj during the
Umayyad period. Abd al-Malik Burhani was the poet laureate of
Sanjar under
Malik Shāh I and
Sultān Sanjar. Regarding cities,
Aban al-Lahiqi was the court poet of the
Barmakids in
Baghdad. Poets laureate of
Iraq include
Muhammed Mahdi al-Jawahiri.
Israel Poets laureate of
Israel include
Avigdor Hameiri and
Haim Gouri.
Japan Kakinomoto no Hitomaro served as the court poet of
Empress Jitō. During the
Heian period,
Ariwara no Yukihira,
Murasaki Shikibu,
Fujiwara no Kintō and
Akazome Emon were court poets. Poets laureate of Japan include Baron Takasaki Masamitsu. The current Princess of
Benin, Damarea Liao was named Japan's first 'National Youth Poet Laureate' in 2024.
Jordan Poets laureate of
Jordan include
Haider Mahmoud.
Kazakhstan Poets laureate of
Kazakhstan include
Abdilda Tazhibaev.
Korea During the 12th century, Jeong Ji-sang was appointed as a court poet of
King Injong of Goryeo. During the reign of
Jungjong of Joseon in the 16th century, Yun Kyung was appointed as the court poet to the king. Beginning around 1994,
North Korea had 6 active poets laureate who worked in the epic genre.
Epic poetry was the chief vehicle of political propaganda during the rule of
Kim Jong-il, and the poets worked according to the requests and needs of Kim Jong-il.
Kyrgyzstan Poets laureate of
Kyrgyzstan include
Chinghiz Aitmatov.
Laos Poets laureate of
Laos include Nhouy Abhay.
Lebanon During the
Shihab dynasty in
Lebanon, Nicola al-Turk was officially appointed as a court poet of
Bashir Shihab II.
Malaysia Poets laureate of
Malaysia include Muhammad Haji Salleh and Datuk
Zurinah Hassan (upon her becoming a
Malaysian National Laureate in 2015). In the 20th century, Raja Haji Yahya was designed by the High Commissioner of the
Malay States as the Poet Laureate of
Perak.
Maldives Poets laureate of the
Maldives include Sheikh Mohamed Jamaluddin (c. 1890), who also served as a judge.
Mongolia Poets laureate of
Mongolia include Ke Ming. Saichungga was the Poet Laureate of
Inner Mongolia.
Myanmar In ancient
Burma, there were kings who bestowed the title of
nawade to the poets laureate. However, according to Kaung (2011), two nawades are often discussed in Burmese literature: Nawadegyi (1498–1588; Prome Nawade) and Dutiya (1756–1840; Wetmasut Nawade). Other historical figures include U Shun, who was appointed as a court poet to King
Bagyidaw during the
Konbaung dynasty of
Burma. During the
Konbaung dynasty,
Letwe Thondara served as the court poet of
Mahadhammaraza Dipadi. Later, in the country's history,
Soe Nyunt was appointed as the Poet Laureate of
Burma.
Nepal Poets laureate of
Nepal include
Lekhnath Paudyal and
Laxmi Prasad Devkota.
Oman In
Oman, Al-Sitali served as the poet laureate during the
Nabhani dynasty.
Pakistan During the 18th century, Jam Durrak was appointed as the poet laureate of the royal court of
Mir Nasir Khan I. Later in Pakistan's history, Poets laureate of
Pakistan would include
Hafeez Jalandhari.
Philippines Poet Laureate of the
Philippines include
Cecilio Apóstol,
Alberto Segismundo Cruz (1945), and
Amado Yuzon (1959). For cities,
Abdon Balde Jr. became the Poet Laureate of
Albay in 2012.
Saudi Arabia Poets laureate of
Saudi Arabia include Ahmed Ibrahim al-Ghazzawi
. Sri Lanka Poets laureate of
Sri Lanka include
Thotagamuwe Sri Rahula Thera, who lived during the 15th century.
Syria During the 10th century,
Al-Mutannabi was the poet laureate at the court of the
Hamdanid emir
Sayf al-Dawla in
Aleppo. In the 12th century, during the
Nizari Ismaili era in
Masyaf, Mazyad al-Hilli al-Asadi was the poet laureate of
Rashid ad-Din Sinan.
Taiwan In 1963, Jun-an (Wei Qing-de) was named the poet laureate of
Taiwan by the United Poets Laureate International. The organization was founded by Taiwanese poet Zhong Dingwen and Filipino poet
Amado Yuzon. In 2004, Taiwanese
Yu Hsi was awarded Poet Laureate by the Seoul World Academy of Arts and Culture.
Tajikistan In ancient times,
Tajikistan-born
Rudaki became the poet laureate in the royal court of
Ahmad Samani.
Thailand Si Prat served as the court poet of
King Narai during the 17th century. Poets laureate of
Thailand include
Sunthorn Phu.
Turkey During the 12th century,
Nicholas Kallikles was the court poet of the
Byzantine court in
Constantinople during the reigns of
Alexios I Komnenos. In 1302,
Safi al-Din al-Hilli served as the court poet in
Mardin under the
Artuqids.
Mehmet Akif Ersoy (b. 1873–d. December 27, 1936), a famous poet, was the Poet-Laureate of
Turkey. He composed the poem to be the National Anthem of the Turkish Republic that written in 1921. Original name of the poem is "İstiklal Marşı"
Turkmenistan In the 12th century,
Rashid al-Din Vatvat became the poet laurete of the court in
Gurganj under
Il-Arslan (in what is now
Turkmenistan). Poets laureate of
Turkmenistan include
Gozel Shagulyeva.
United Arab Emirates Poets laureate of the
United Arab Emirates include Ousha bint Khalifa Al Suwaidi.
Uzbekistan In the 14th century,
Uzbekistan-born
Abu Sulayman Banakati was appointed poet laureate of
Ghazan Khan court. In the 14th-15th centuries,
Uzbekistan-born Khoja Fakhriddin Ismatullah ibn Masud Ismat Bukhari was the poet laureate in the royal courts of
Jalal-ud-Din Khalji and
Ulugh Beg. In later history, poets laureate of
Uzbekistan include Muhammad Ali and Śukrullo.
Vietnam During the 16th century,
Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm became the first Poet Laureate of
Vietnam.
Tố Hữu was the poet laureate of
North Vietnam and the
Communist Party of Vietnam, and remained so even after his political decline.
Yemen Ibn 'Aliwa-Ibn Hayyan was the court poet of the
Banu Hamdan in northern
Yemen. During the 15th century,
Abu Bakr al-Aydarus became the patron saint and Poet Laureate of
Aden, Yemen.
Europe Albania During the 15th-16th centuries,
Albania-born
Mesihi of Prishtina was appointed as the court poet of the
Grand Vizier Khadim Ali Pasha. He was followed by
Luljeta Lleshanaku.
Austria Poets laureate of
Austria include
Franz Grillparzer, Kurt Wildgans and
Franz Werfel. For cities,
Paulus Melissus was made Poet Laureate of
Vienna in 1561.
Belarus Poets Laureate of
Belarus include
Maksim Tank and Pimen Panchenko.
Belgium Around 1914, several sources cited
Marguerite Coppin as the Poet Laureate of
Belgium. The first Poet Laureate of
Belgium, Charles Ducal, was chosen in 2014. He was followed by Laurence Vielle, and Mustafa Kör.
Bulgaria Poets laureate of
Bulgaria include
Venko Markovski.
Croatia During the 15th-16th century,
Elio Lampridio Cerva (Ilija Crijević) was appointed as the Poet Laureate of the
Republic of Ragusa. Poets laureate of
Croatia include
Vladimir Nazor. For cities, Peter Menčetić was the Poet Laureate of
Dubrovnik.
Czech Republic In 1596, Bartholomaeus Bilovius was made Poet Laureate of
Prague due in part to his royal connections. Johann Christian Alois Mickl was crowned the Poet Laureate of Prague around 1730.
Denmark In the 16th century,
Hieronymus Osius was appointed the poet laureate by
King Christian III of Denmark. Poets laureate of
Denmark include
Christian Winther.
Estonia Poets laureate of
Estonia include
Jaan Kaplinski.
Finland Poets laureate of
Finland include
Zachris Topelius.
France Around 1324,
Arnaut Vidal de Castelnou d'Ari became the first Poet Laureate of the
Consistori del Gay Saber. Poets laureate of
France include
Publio Fausto Andrelini (1496),
Pierre Gringore,
Mellin de Saint-Gelais (appointed c. 1523 by
Francis I of France),
François de Malherbe (c. 1576),
Giambattista Marino (1615–1623), Charles Dumas (1903),
André Corthis (1906) and
Paul Fort (1921).
Germany The first known Poet Laureate of the
Holy Roman Empire (the predecessor of the
German Reich) is Conradus Celtes Protuccius (c. 1466). He was succeeded by Matthäus Zuber,
Adam Schröter (1560),
Johann Heermann (1608), Johannes Paulus Crusius (1616),
Johann Rist (1644),
Johann Georg Ahle (1680),
Apostolo Zeno and
Pietro Metastasio (1729) among others.
Georg Christian Lehms was the court poet in
Darmstadt, and
Salomon Franck was a court poet during the 18th century. Regarding other cities, in the 1700s,
Sidonia Hedwig Zäunemann was appointed as the Poet Laureate of
Göttingen. Poets laureate of
Nazi Germany include
Hanns Johst from 1935 to 1946. was declared the Stadtschreiber of three different cities in Germany:
Rheinsberg in 1999,
Remscheid in 2004,
Greece In the 6th century,
Simonides of Ceos was appointed as the poet laureate of the
Scopadae and Aleuadae. In the 12th century,
Theodore Prodromos was appointed as the court poet during the reigns of
John II Komnenos (1118–1143) and
Manuel I Komnenos (1143–1180).
Greece's modern poets laureate include Spyros Matsoukas (c. 1909) and
Kostis Palamas.
Holy See Popes have several times named poets laureate, but the practice has been irregular.
Hungary Poets laureate of
Hungary include
János Arany and
Zsófia Balla (2018).
Iceland In the 10th century,
Hallfreðr vandræðaskáld was the
court poet (
skald) first of
Hákon Sigurðarson, then of
Óláfr Tryggvason and finally of
Eiríkr Hákonarson.
Eilífr Goðrúnarson was another court poet of
Hákon Sigurðarson. Also, in the 10th century,
Tindr Hallkelsson was the earl
Hákon Sigurðarson. In the 11th century,
Sigvatr Þórðarson was the court poet of King
Olaf II of Norway,
Canute the Great,
Magnus the Good and
Anund Jacob. Also, in the 11th century,
Þórarinn loftunga was the court poet of King
Canute and
Sveinn Knútsson. Other 11th century court poets include
Þjóðólfr Arnórsson and
Arnórr jarlaskáld. Poets laureate of
Iceland include
Einar Benediktsson and
Stephan G. Stephansson.
Ireland The
Kingdom of Ireland had a poet laureate; the last holder of the title was
Robert Jephson, who died in 1803. The closest modern equivalent in
Ireland is the title
Saoi ["wise one" held by up to seven members at a time of
Aosdána, an official body of those engaged in fine arts, literature, and music. Poets awarded the title include
Máire Mhac an tSaoi,
Anthony Cronin, and
Seamus Heaney. In terms of districts,
Rachael Hegarty is the Poet Laureate of
Dublin 1.
Italy During the 13th century,
France-born
Raimbaut de Vaqueiras served as the court poet of
Boniface I of Montferrat. Poets laureate of
Italy include
Albertino Mussato,
Petrarch (1341), Camillo Querno (1514),
Torquato Tasso (1595),
Maria Maddalena Morelli Fernandez (1776) and
Giovanni Prati (1849). In 1452,
Niccolò Perotti was made Poet Laureate of
Bologna. In the 16th century,
Bernardo Bellincioni was appointed as the court poet for
Lorenzo the Magnificent in
Florence and
Ludovico Sforza.
Latvia Jānis Sudrabkalns was the Poet Laureate of
Latvian SSR.
Lithuania Poets laureate of
Lithuania include
Bernardas Brazdzionis and Kornelijus Platelis.
Luxembourg In 1555,
Luxembourg-born
Nicolaus Mameranus was crowned poet laureate by
Charles V.
Malta In 2023,
Maria Grech Ganado became the inaugural Poet Laureate of
Malta.
Moldova Moldova-born
Adrian Păunescu was the poet laureate of
Romanian politician
Nicolae Ceaușescu.
Montenegro Poets laureate of
Montenegro include Tomo Joshov Vulkichevich.
Netherlands The unofficial Poet Laureate of
Netherlands is
Tsead Bruinja as
Dichter des Vaderlands (Poet of the Fatherland). The previous laureate was
Ester Naomi Perquin.
Gerrit Komrij was the first
Dichter des Vaderlands. The title was created by Dutch media. In terms of cities,
Hester Knibbe served as the Poet Laureate of
Rotterdam.
Norway During the 9th century,
Þorbjǫrn hornklofi was appointed as a court poet (
skald) of
King Harald Fairhair. In the 11th century,
Valgarðr á Velli was the court poet of King
Harald Hardrada of Norway. Poets laureate of
Norway include
Arnold Eidslott (1986–2018).
Poland Poets laureate of
Poland were appointed so by Popes:
Klemens Janicki (
Pope Paul III; 1540),
Adam Schröter (
Pope Pius IV; 1564), and
Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski (
Pope Urban VIII, 1622).
Italy-born
Carlo Sigismondo Capece was the court poet of Queen
Maria Casimira of Poland.
Portugal In 1769,
Italy-born
Gaetano Martinelli was appointed as the court poet of
Joseph I of Portugal and his daughter
Maria I. Poets laureate of
Portugal include
Gil Vicente and
Garcia de Resende.
Romania Poets laureate of
Romania include
Vasile Alecsandri (1848–1881) and
Octavian Goga.
Russia In the 18th century,
Vasily Zhukovsky was a court poet during the
Russian Empire. Poets laureate of
Russia include
Gavrila Derzhavin and
Mikhail Sholokhov. In 1923, Mӓjit Nurghӓniulї Ghafuri was appointed the Poet Laureate of
Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.
San Marino Poets laureate of
San Marino include
Valery Larbaud.
Serbia Poets laureate of
Serbia include the following: •
Matija Bećković •
Charles Simić •
Slobodan Selenić •
Jovan Dučić Slovakia Poets laureate of
Slovakia include
Pavol Országh Hviezdoslav.
Slovenia Poets laureate of
Slovenia include
France Prešeren.
Spain Mu'min ibn Said was the court poet of
Córdoba under
Muhammad I (d. 886) [an amir of the
Emirate of Córdoba]. In the 11th century in
Spain,
Ibn Darraj al-Qastalli was appointed as the court poet of
Almanzor. During the 13th century,
Cerverí de Girona was appointed as the court poet of
James the Conqueror and
Peter the Great. Poets Laureate of
Spain include
Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch (1869),
José Zorrilla y Moral (1889), and
Carolina Coronado.
José María Pemán was designated as the Poet Laureate of the
Franco regime.
Sweden Poets laureate of
Sweden include
Pehr Henrik Ling and
Verner von Heidenstam (1916).
Switzerland In 1512,
Switzerland-born
Heinrich Glarean was appointed a poet laureate by
Emperor Maximilian I.
Ukraine Stanisław Trembecki was the poet laureate in the court of
Tulchyn (a region now located in modern-day
Ukraine). In the 1940s,
Oleksandr Korniychuk was the Poet Laureate of Soviet-controlled
Ukraine. For cities, Sofia Vladimirovna was the Poet Laureate of
Henichesk.
United Kingdom England In England, the term "poet laureate" is restricted to the official office of Poet Laureate, attached to the royal household. However, no authoritative historical record exists of the office of Poet Laureate of
England. The office developed from earlier practice when
minstrels and
versifiers were members of the king's retinue.
Richard Cœur-de-Lion had a
versificator regis (English: ''king's poet
), Gulielmus Peregrinus (William the Pilgrim), and Henry III had a versificator'' named Master Henry. In the fifteenth century, John Kay, a versifier, described himself as
Edward IV's "humble poet laureate". According to
Notes and Queries (1876), King
Henry I paid 10
shillings a year to a
versificator regis.
Geoffrey Chaucer (1340–1400) was called Poet Laureate, being granted in 1389 an annual allowance of wine. W. Hamilton describes
Chaucer, Gower, Kay, Andrew Bernard,
John Skelton, Robert Whittington, Richard Edwards and
Samuel Daniel as "volunteer Laureates".
John Skelton studied at the
University of Oxford in the early 1480s and was advanced to the degree of "poet laureate" in 1488, when he joined the court of King
Henry VII to tutor the future
Henry VIII. The title of
laureate was also conferred on him by the
University of Louvain in 1492 and by the
University of Cambridge in 1492–3. He soon became famous for his
rhetoric,
satire and
translations and was held in high esteem by the
printer William Caxton, who wrote, in the
preface to (
Modern English:
The Book of the Aeneid, compiled by Virgil) (1490): But I pray mayster John Skelton, late created poete laureate in the unyversite of Oxenforde, to oversee and correct this sayd booke. The academic use of the term laureate became associated again with royalty when King
James I created a pension for
Ben Jonson in 1617, although there is no formal record extant. He was succeeded by
William Davenant. The royal office Poet Laureate was officially conferred by
letters patent on
John Dryden in 1668, after Davenant's death, and the post became a regular institution. There are other, non-official, laureate titles, such as the commercially sponsored "
Children's Laureate" for an "eminent writer or illustrator of children's books to celebrate outstanding achievement in their field", and the Poetry Foundation's Young People's Poet Laureate. As of 2026, the current Poet Laureate is Simon Armitage. In 2004 the
Scottish Parliament appointed Professor
Edwin Morgan as the first Makar or National Poet for Scotland. On his death in January 2011 he was succeeded by
Liz Lochhead.
Jackie Kay followed Lochhead as Makar in 2016, and was then herself succeeded by
Kathleen Jamie, who became Scotland's fourth Makar in 2021. In 2024,
Pàdraig MacAoidh (Peter Mackay) became the fifth Makar. For cities, in 2014, Jim Carruth was appointed as the Poet Laureate of
Glasgow.
Wales Wales has had a long tradition of poets and bards under royal patronage, with extant writing from
medieval royal poets and earlier.
Gwalchmai ap Meilyr was the court poet of
Owain Gwynedd during the 12th century.
Y Prydydd Bychan was a medieval Welsh court poet in the 13th century. The office of
National Poet for Wales was established in April 2005. The first holder,
Gwyneth Lewis, was followed by
Gwyn Thomas. The role of
Bardd Plant Cymru, the Welsh-language children's poet laureate was established in 2000. A corresponding English-language role,
Children's Laureate Wales was established in 2019.
Territories British Virgin Islands Dr. Richard Georges became the inaugural Poet Laureate of the
British Virgin Islands in 2020.
Falkland Islands Poets laureate of the
Falkland Islands include Ron Reeves.
Isle of Man Referred to as the Manx Bard, the individuals that have served in the position include Zoe Cannell, Michael Manning, Jordanne Kennaugh and Boakesey Closs.
North America Aruba In 2025, John Freddy Montoya was named
Aruba’s “Poet of the Fatherland” (
Dichter des Vaderlands).
Bahamas Poets laureate of
The Bahamas include Henry Christopher Christie.
Barbados The first Poet Laureate of
Barbados was chosen in 2018. Her name is
Esther Phillips.
Canada The
Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate is appointed as an officer of the
Library of Parliament. The position alternates between an English and French speaking laureate. Candidates must be able to write in both English and French, have a substantial publication history (including poetry) displaying literary excellence and have written work reflecting Canada, among other criteria.
Provincial and municipal poets laureate Currently, only the provinces of
Ontario,
Prince Edward Island,
Saskatchewan and
Yukon have appointed a poet laureate.
Alberta British Columbia Manitoba cities • Poets laureate of
Winnipeg include
Di Brandt (2018–2019),
Duncan Mercredi (2020–2022), and
Chimwemwe Undi (2023–2024).
New Brunswick cities • Poets laureate of
Fredericton include Ian Letourneau (2016–2018), Jenna Lyn Albert (2019–2021) and Jordan Trethewey (2021–present). • Poets flyé-es (poets laureate) of
Moncton include Kayla Geitzler (English) and Jean-Philippe Raîche (French) (2019–present) • Poets laureate of
Sackville include
Douglas Lochhead (2002–2011), Marilyn Lerch (2013–2017), Shoshanna Wingate (2019–2021) and Laura K. Watson (2021–present).
Newfoundland and Labrador cities • Poets laureate of
St. John's include
Agnes Walsh (2006–2009),
Tom Dawe (2010–2013),
George Murray (2014–2017), and
Mary Dalton (2019–2022).
Nova Scotia cities •
Rita Joe (1932 – 2007) was appointed Lifetime "Poet Laureate of the Mi'kmaq people" in
Cape Breton.
Ontario Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island appointed its first poet laureate,
John Smith, in 2003. •
Julie Pellissier-Lush (2019–present) •
Deirdre Kessler (2016–2019) •
Diane Hicks Morrow (2013–2016) •
Hugh MacDonald (2009–2013) •
David Helwig (2008–2009) •
Frank Ledwell (2004–2007) •
John Smith (2002–2004)
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan appointed its first poet laureate,
Glen Sorestad, in 2000. •
Carol Rose GoldenEagle (2021–present) •
Bruce Rice (2019 - 2021) •
Brenda Schmidt (2017 - 2018) •
Gerry Hill (2016 - 2017) •
Judith Krause (2014 - 2015) •
Don Kerr (2011 - 2013) •
Robert Currie (2007 - 2010) •
Louise B. Halfe (Sky Dancer) (2005 - 2006) •
Glen Sorestad (2000 - 2004)
Yukon Inaugural
Yukon Provincial Poet Laureate
PJ Yukon has held the office since 1994. The inaugural position was held by Michael Gates.
Costa Rica Poets laureate of
Costa Rica include
Laureano Albán.
Cuba National poets are mainly celebrated in
Cuba, but there are poets laureate in the country's history. In 1860,
Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda was made the Poet Laureate of
Havana.
Nicolás Guillén, who is mainly considered a national poet, became the Poet Laureate of
Havana in 1913.
Dominican Republic Poets laureate of
Dominican Republic include
Pedro Mir (1984).
El Salvador Poets laureate of
El Salvador include Alberto Rivas Bonilla.
Guatemala Poets laureate of
Guatemala include Osmundo Arriola and
Máximo Soto Hall.
Haiti Poets laureate of
Haiti include
Jean-Fernand Brierre.
Honduras In 1846,
José Trinidad Reyes was appointed the Poet Laureate of
Honduras. His successors include
Froylán Turcios (c. 1922).
Jamaica Thomas MacDermot was the first poet laureate of
Jamaica during colonial times, followed by
J. E. Clare McFarlane.
Mervyn Morris was the first poet laureate of Jamaica upon its independence (2014–2017), followed by
Lorna Goodison (2017–2020) The current poet laureate is
Kwame Dawes (2024–2027).
Martinique Poets laureate of
Martinique include Daniel Thaly.
Mexico In the 15th century,
Nezahualcoyotl was the Poet Laureate of the
Aztecs. Poets laureate of
Mexico include
Guillermo Prieto (1890), Juan de Dios Peza, and
Rafael de Zayas Enriquez. Ramón Modesto López Velarde Berumen was the Poet Laureate of
Jerez de García Salinas,
Zacatecas.
Enrique González Martínez was the Poet Laureate of
Mexico City. Félix Martínez Dolz was the Poet Laureate of
Oaxaca. In 2019, Gerardo de Jesús Monroy became the Poet Laureate of
Torreón,
Coahuila.
Nicaragua Poets laureate of
Nicaragua include Agenor Argüello and Juan de Dios Vanegas.
Panama Poets laureate of
Panama include
Enrique Geenzier.
Saint Lucia Poets laureate of
Saint Lucia include
Derek Walcott.
Trinidad and Tobago Paul-Keens Douglas became the inaugural Poet Laureate of
Trinidad and Tobago in 2017. In 2002,
Eintou Pearl Springer was named the Poet Laureate of
Port of Spain,
Trinidad and Tobago. The inaugural Poet Laureate of the
Port of Spain was Anson Gonzalez. The original intent of the stipend was to provide poets laureate with a full income, so that they could devote their time entirely to writing poetry. The amount has not been adjusted for
inflation and is now considered a moderate bonus intended to supplement a poet's already existing income. Poets laureate of the United States include
Ada Limón,
Joy Harjo,
Tracy K. Smith and
Juan Felipe Herrera.
Amanda Gorman was the United States's first
National Youth Poet Laureate appointed in 2017. A number of American state legislatures have also created an office of poet laureate. The holders may be locally or nationally prominent. The U.S. states of
New Jersey,
Massachusetts, and
Pennsylvania do not have positions, while
South Dakota and
South Carolina's positions are currently vacant.
Oceania Australia On January 30, 2023, at the launch of 'Revive',
Australia's new cultural policy, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced "the establishment of a poet laureate for Australia". Before 2023, Australia had not had an official poet laureate scheme, despite past suggestions. In 1818, former convict
Michael Massey Robinson was paid by colony governor
Lachlan Macquarie for services as poet laureate. Over the years, other poets have been nominated as worthy of such a title, including
James Brunton Stephens (1835–1902),
Andrew Barton 'Banjo' Paterson (1864–1941), and
Les Murray (1938–2019).
Fiji Poets laureate of
Fiji include
Kamla Prasad Mishra.
Kiribati Poets laureate of
Kiribati include
Danny Wilson.
New Zealand New Zealand has had an official poet laureate since 1998. Originally sponsored by Te Mata vineyards and known as the Te Mata Estate Poet Laureate, the award is now administered by the
National Library of New Zealand and the holder is called New Zealand Poet Laureate. The term of office is two years. The symbol of office is a
Tokotoko, a carved wooden ceremonial orator's staff. The first holder was
Bill Manhire, in 1998–99, then
Hone Tuwhare (2000–01),
Elizabeth Smither (2002–03),
Brian Turner (2004–05),
Jenny Bornholdt (2006–07),
Michele Leggott (2008–09),
Cilla McQueen (2009–11),
Ian Wedde (2011–13),
Vincent O'Sullivan (2013–15),
C. K. Stead (2015–2017),
Selina Tusitala Marsh (2017–2019),
David Eggleton (2019–2021) and
Chris Tse (2022–2024).
Papua New Guinea Allan Natachee was proclaimed the Poet Laureate of
Papua New Guinea by the United Poets Laureate International.
Tonga Poets laureate of
Tonga include Noble
Tu'ivakanō (Siaosi Kiu Ngalumoetutulu Kiutauivailahi Kao).
South America Argentina Poets laureate of
Argentina include
Olegario Victor Andrade and Carlos Guido y Spano.
Bolivia Poets laureate of
Bolivia include
Javier del Granado.
Brazil Poets laureate of
Brazil include
Guilherme de Almeida.
Chile Poets laureate of
Chile include Galvarino Merino Duarte (c. 1983).
Colombia Poets laureate of
Colombia include Antonio José Restrepo.
Ecuador Poets laureate of
Ecuador include
Remigio Crespo Toral (1917), Pablo Hannibal Vela (1951), and
José María Egas (1976).
Guyana Poets laureate of
Guyana include
A.J. Seymour.
Paraguay Poets laureate of
Paraguay include
Alejandro Guanes.
Peru Poets laureate of
Peru include
Pedro Peralta y Barnuevo,
José Santos Chocano (1922), and Dennis Siluk.
Suriname Poets laureate of
Suriname include Robin "Dobru" Ravales.
Uruguay In 1929, the
Palacio Legislativo of
Montevideo consecrated
Juana de Ibarbourou as the "Poet Laureate of
Spanish America".
Venezuela Poets laureate of
Venezuela include Heraclio Martín de la Guardia (c. 1878). ==See also==