List of Canadian poets
This is a list of Canadian poets. == A == Mark Abley (born 1955), poet, journalist, editor, and non-fiction writer Milton Acorn (1923–1986), poet, writer, and playwright José Acquelin (born 1956) Gil Adamson (born 1961), novelist, poet, and short-story writer Randell Adjei, spoken-word poet, first Poet Laureate of Ontario Marie-Célie Agnant (born 1953), Haitian native living in Canada since 1970; novelist, poet and writer of children's books Neil Aitken (born 1974), poet, editor, and translator Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm (born 1965), Anishinaabe writer and poet from the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation, founder (in 1993) of Kegedonce Press, specializing in indigenous writers Donald Alarie (born 1945), writer, poet, and teacher Edna Alford (born 1947), editor, author, and poet who co-founded the magazine Dandelion Sandra Alland (born 1973), Scottish-Canadian writer, multimedia artist, bookseller, small press publisher, and activist Donna Allard, editor and poet Lillian Allen (born 1951), dub poet Anne-Marie Alonzo (1951–2005), playwright, poet, novelist, critic, and publisher, born in Egypt and moved to Canada at the age of 12 George Amabile (born 1936) Madhur Anand (born 1971), poet and scientist James Anderson (1835-1922), poet and songwriter Marguerite Andersen (1924–2022), German-born, primarily francophone writer, academic and editor Patrick Anderson (1915–1979), English-born Canadian poet and academic Robert T. Anderson (1880–1960), Alberta poet Rod Anderson (1935–2014), poet, musician, and accountant Michael Andre (born 1946), poet, critic, and editor living in the United States Faith Arkorful Jeannette Armstrong (born 1948), Syilx Okanagan author, educator, artist, and activist Tammy Armstrong (born 1974), poet and novelist David Arnason (born 1940), author and poet Joanne Arnott (born 1960), Métis poet, essayist, and activist writer Margaret Atwood (born 1939), poet, novelist, literary critic, feminist, and activist Charlotte Aubin (born 1991) Martine Audet (born 1961) Emily Austin Oana Avasilichioaei, poet and translator Margaret Avison (1918–2007) == B == Ken Babstock (born 1970) Elizabeth Bachinsky (born 1976), poet and editor Britta Badour Alfred Bailey (1905–1997), poet, anthropologist, ethno-historian, and academic administrator Jacob Bailey (1731–1808), Church of England clergyman and poet born in the United States (colony of New Hampshire), immigrated to Nova Scotia, Canada in 1779 Marie Annharte Baker (born 1942), Anishnabe poet and author Chris Banks (born 1970), poet and high school teacher Kaushalya Bannerji, Indian-born poet Frances Bannerman (1855–1944), painter and poet Simina Banu Joelle Barron John Barton (born 1957) Gary Barwin (born 1964), author, composer, children's writer, and poet Jalal Barzanji (born 1953), Kurdish poet and writer living in Canada since 1998 Shaunt Basmajian (1950–1990), poet and author Angèle Bassolé-Ouédraogo (born 1967), Ivoirian-born poet and journalist Bill Bauer (1932–2010), American-born, living in Canada since 1965, husband of Nancy Bauer Nancy Bauer (born 1934), American-born, living in Canada since 1965, wife of Bill Bauer Doug Beardsley (born 1941), poet and academic Nérée Beauchemin (1850–1931), francophone poet and physician Derek Beaulieu (born 1973), poet, publisher, and anthologist Joseph-Isidore Bédard (1806–1833), poet, lawyer, and politician Ven Begamudré (born 1956), Indian-born poet, short-story writer, novelist, and academic Henry Beissel (1929–2025), poet, author, writer, and editor Billy-Ray Belcourt Ken Belford (1945–2020) Lesley Belleau Marlène Belley (born 1963), John Bemrose, arts journalist, novelist, poet, and playwright Gwen Benaway Roxanna Bennett Robbie Benoit (died 2007), poet and writer Jovette Bernier (1900–1981), Quebec poet, novelist, and journalist Jean-Philippe Bergeron (born 1978), francophone writer and poet Craven Langstroth Betts (1853–1941), author and poet Navtej Bharati, Indian-born poet and writer in Punjabi and English, publisher of Third Eye Press Bertrand Bickersteth Robert Billings (1949–1986), poet and editor Brandi Bird Earle Birney (1904–1995) Minnie Blanche Bishop (1864–1917), poet and educator Bill Bissett (born 1939) Mark Blagrave (born 1956), writer, short-story writer, playwright, poet, and academic Marie-Claire Blais (1939–2021), writer, poet, and playwright Cassandra Blanchard Robin Blaser (1925–2009), author and poet Laurie Block (1949–2018), poet and educator E. D. Blodgett (1935–2018), poet, literary critic, and translator Ali Blythe, poet and editor Selina Boan Robert Boates (born 1954) Christian Bök (born Christian Book 1966), poet and author Dennis E. Bolen (born 1953), novelist, journalist and poet Stephanie Bolster (born 1969), poet and academic Shane Book Roo Borson, pen name of Ruth Elizabeth Borson (born 1952), American native living in Canada Hédi Bouraoui (born 1932), Tunisian-born Canadian poet, novelist, and academic Arthur Bourinot (1893–1969), poet and lawyer George Bowering (born 1935), novelist, poet, historian, and biographer Marilyn Bowering (1949), poet, novelist, and playwright Tim Bowling (born 1964), poet and novelist Alex Boyd (born 1969), poet, fiction writer, critic, essayist, and editor Frances Boyle (born 1954) D. M. Bradford Kate Braid (born 1947), poet and teacher Lawrence Ytzhak Braithwaite (1963–2008), novelist, spoken word artist, dub poet, essayist, digital drummer, and short-story writer Shannon Bramer (born 1973), poet and teacher Dionne Brand (born 1953), poet, novelist, and non-fiction writer born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago before moving to Canada Di Brandt née "Diana Ruth Janzen" (born 1952), poet and literary critic Jacques Brault (1933–2022), French Canadian poet and translator Diana Brebner (1956–2001) Brian Brett (1950–2024), poet and novelist Elizabeth Brewster (1922–2012), poet and academic Robert Bringhurst (born 1946), poet, typographer, and author Eve Brodlique (1867–1949), poet, author, journalist David Bromige (1933–2009), Canadian poet living in the United States since 1962 Nicole Brossard (born 1943), francophone poet and novelist Audrey Alexandra Brown (1904–1998) Ronnie R. Brown (born 1946), United States-born living in Canada for most of her adult life Colin Browne Charles Tory Bruce (1906–1971), poet, journalist and fiction writer Julie Bruck Suzanne Buffam April Bulmer (born 1963) Murdoch Burnett (1953–2015), poet, performance artist, editor, and community activist Mick Burrs (1940–2021) Aaron Bushkowsky (born 1957) Arthur de Bussières (1877–1913) Jake Byrne == C == Charmaine Cadeau Heather Cadsby, poet and publisher Alison Calder (born 1969), poet and academic Frank Oliver Call (1878–1956) Barry Callaghan (born 1937), author, poet, and son of the author Morley Callaghan Anne Cameron (1938–2022), novelist, poet, screenwriter, and short-story writer George Frederick Cameron (1854–1885), poet, lawyer, and journalist Jason Camlot (born 1967), poet, scholar, and songwriter Wilfred Campbell (1858–1918), poet and Anglican clergyman Natalee Caple (born 1970), novelist and poet Paul Cargnello (born 1979), Montreal poet, lyricist Bliss Carman (1861–1929), poet and critic Anne Carson (born 1950), poet, essayist, translator, and academic Kate Cayley, poet, writer, and theatre director Weyman Chan (born 1963), poet Catherine Chandler (born 1950), poet, translator, and academic William Chapman (1850–1917), poet, journalist, and bureaucrat Jean Charbonneau (1875–1960), francophone poet who was the primary founder of the Montreal Literary School Herménégilde Chiasson (born 1946), Acadian poet, playwright, journalist, academic, and the Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick Robert Choquette (1905–1991), novelist, poet, and briefly (1968–1970) a diplomat Lesley Choyce (born 1951), novelist, writer, children's book writer, poet, and academic who founded Pottersfield Press and hosts the television programs Choyce Words and Off the Page; born in the United States and immigrated to Canada in 1979 Margaret Christakos (born 1962), poet and university writing teacher Evie Christie (born 1979), poet Jillian Christmas, poet Chuan Sha, Chinese-born Canadian poet and author Dave Clark, musician (Rheostatics) and poet George Elliott Clarke (born 1960), poet and playwright Wayne Clifford (1944–2025) Fred Cogswell (1917–2004) Leonard Cohen (1934–2016), singer-songwriter, musician, poet, and novelist Matt Cohen (1942–1999), writer and poet Victor Coleman (born 1944) Don Coles (1928–2017), poet, author, and academic Stephen Collis, poet and academic John Robert Colombo (born 1936), poet, anthologist, editor, essayist, and humorist Daria Colonna (born 1989) Anne Compton (born 1947), poet, critic, and anthologist Wayde Compton (born 1972), poet, writer, turntable-based "sound poetry" performer, academic who co-founded Commodore Books, the first black-oriented press in Western Canada Jan Conn (born 1952), Canadian-born geneticist and poet living in the United States Karen Connelly (born 1969), writer and poet Kevin Connolly (born 1962), poet, writer, and critic Dennis Cooley (born 1944), poet and academic Afua Cooper (born 1957), Jamaican-born historian and dub poet Judith Copithorne (1939–2025), concrete and visual poet Paulo da Costa, Canadian-Portuguese author, editor, and translator Sonia Cotten (born 1974), poet Maya Cousineau Mollen (born 1975) Dani Couture (born 1978), poet, essayist, critic, and journalist Thomas Cowherd (1817–1907), tinsmith and poet Isabella Valancy Crawford (1850–1887), poet, novelist, and short-story writer Octave Crémazie (1827–1879), francophone poet who has been called "the father of French-Canadian poetry" for his patriotic verse Lynn Crosbie (born 1963), poet and novelist Lorna Crozier (born 1948), writes under the name Lorna Uher Michael Crummey (born 1965), poet and writer Julie Crysler, journalist and poet Nancy Jo Cullen, poet and short story writer Jen Currin, United States-born poet Kayla Czaga (born 1989), poet == D == Cyril Dabydeen (born 1945), native Guyana poet and writer living in Canada Kalli Dakos (born 1950), children's poet and teacher Michel Dallaire (1957–2017), novelist and poet Mary Dalton (born 1950), poet and academic Joseph A. Dandurand, Native American poet, playwright, and archaeologist Jean-Paul Daoust (born 1946), poet Beverley Daurio (born 1953) Frank Davey (born 1940), poet and academic Lynn Davies (born 1954), poet Nicholas Flood Davin (1840–1901), lawyer, journalist, politician, and poet Tanya Davis, spoken-word poet and musician Tom Dawe (born 1940), writer, poet, children's book author, and artist Amber Dawn, poet, novelist, and short-fiction writer Adriana de Barros (born 1976), Portuguese native who moved to Canada at age 3; illustrator, web designer, and poet Sadiqa de Meijer (born 1966) James Deahl (born 1945), moved to Canada from the United States in 1970 and a citizen of both countries; poet, academic, and publisher of Unfinished Monument Press; founding member of the Canadian Poetry Association Kris Demeanor, poet, musician and actor Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan, performance art duo who have collaborated on performances, films, videos, publications, and public art projects since 1989 Barry Dempster (1952–2025), poet and novelist Joe Denham, poet and fiction writer Adebe DeRango-Adem Michelle Desbarats, poet Anne-Marie Desmeules, poet Christopher Dewdney (born 1951), poet, writer, artist, creative-writing teacher, and writer-in-residence at various universities Ann Diamond (born 1951), an award-winning Montreal poet, novelist, and short-story writer Pier Giorgio Di Cicco (1949–2019), Italian-born, Canadian poet and priest Mary di Michele (born 1949), Italian-born Canadian poet, author, and creative-writing teacher Adam Dickinson, poet Robert Dickson (1944–2007), poet, translator, and academic Kildare Dobbs (1923–2013), Indian-born teacher, poet, editor, short-story writer, and travel writer who moved to Canada in 1950 Jeramy Dodds (born 1974), poet Don Domanski (1950–2020) Magie Dominic (born 1944), poet and artist Jeffery Donaldson, poet and critic David Donnell (1939–2020), poet and writer Candas Dorsey (born 1952), poet and science fiction novelist Clive Doucet (born 1946), writer, poet, and politician Gordon Downie (1964–2017), songwriter, poet, and musician Orville Lloyd Douglas (born 1976), poet and writer Stan Dragland (1942–2022), novelist, poet and literary critic William Henry Drummond (1854–1907), Irish-born Canadian poet Louis Dudek (1918–2001), poet, literary critic and publisher Marilyn Dumont (born 1955), poet and educator Klara du Plessis, poet == E == Evelyn Eaton (1902–1983), novelist, short-story writer, poet, and academic Vic Elias (1948–2006), American-born, living in Canada from 1979, poet and academic David Elliott (1923–1999), poet and academic Rebecca Elson (1960–1999), Canadian-American astronomer, academic writer, and poet Crispin Elsted (born 1947) Karen Enns Reuben Epp (1920–2009), teacher, school administrator, writer and poet in Plautdietsch (Mennonite Low German) Michael Estok (1939–1989) == F == Margaret Fairley (1885–1968), English-born Canadian writer, educator and political activist Brian Fawcett (1944–2022), poet, novelist, nonfiction author and writer Charles Fenerty (c.