The New Zealand poet laureate is a poet appointed by the National Library of New Zealand to represent New Zealand's community of poets, to promote and advocate for poetry, and to produce a number of published works during their three-year tenure as laureate.
The current New Zealand poet laureate is Robert Sullivan.
History of the award The poet laureate for New Zealand was not originally appointed by a government agency, but by a commercial company. The award was established by Te Mata Estate, a winery in Hawke's Bay, in 1997, the year of the winery's centenary. Bill Manhire was named the first Te Mata poet laureate.The Office of the Poet Laureate , University of Otago, 2005.
In 2007, the National Library of New Zealand took over the appointment of the poet laureate. The New Zealand Poet Laureate Bog August 2022 Chris Tse is NZ’s next top poet laureate The Spinoff, Books by Claire Mabey 26-08-2022 New Zealand Poet Laureate, National Library of New Zealand.
Nomination The National Library accepts public nominations for the position, as well as nominations from universities, libraries and creative writing programmes. The National Librarian of New Zealand then makes the decision following advice from the Poet Laureate Advisory Council, which currently includes first laureate Bill Manhire and Te Mata Estate chairman John Buck.
Award The value of the award granted to the poet laureate is currently NZ$150,000, of which twenty per cent is retained by the National Library to cover costs such as events, promotion, and the laureate's tokotoko. A tokotoko is a Māori carved ceremonial walking stick which is presented to the laureate upon their appointment.Hunt, Tom: "New poet laureate scrambles for right words", The Dominion Post, 5 August 2011. The tokotoko is paired with the matua, or "parent tokotoko which is retained and displayed by the National Library to signify their joint guardianship of the award with the Ngāti Kahungunu. The tokotoko are created by Hawke's Bay artist Jacob Scott, with the matua carved from black maire and containing a poem by the late Hone Tuwhare, the 1999–2001 laureate."Poet Laureate tokotoko gets iwi blessing", National Library of New Zealand, 26 June 2008.
Based on the tradition of the poet laureate of the United Kingdom receiving a "butt of sack", the New Zealand poet laureate also receives a stipend of wine from Te Mata Estate.
List of New Zealand poets laureate
NameTerm of laureateship 1 Bill Manhire 1997–1999 2 Hone Tuwhare 1999–2001 3 Elizabeth Smither 2001–2003 4 Brian Turner 2003–2005 5 Jenny Bornholdt 2005–2007 6 Michele Leggott 2007–2009 7 Cilla McQueen 2009–2011 8 Ian Wedde 2011–2013 9 Vincent O'Sullivan 2013–2015 10 C. K. Stead 2015–2017 11 Selina Tusitala Marsh 2017–2019 12 David Eggleton 2019–2022 13 Chris Tse 2022–2025 14 Robert Sullivan 2025–2028
See also Te Awhi Rito New Zealand Reading Ambassador
References
External links New Zealand Poet Laureate blog (National Library of New Zealand)