麻豆传媒

OTTAWA 鈥� Canada鈥檚 new parliamentary poet laureate wouldn鈥檛 consider herself a political nerd but is already finding inspiration in the "system" of Parliament, and has ambitions to make poetry "relevant" to a new generation.

Tuesday, Nova Scotian Georgette LeBlanc is being installed as the eighth Canadian poet to hold the title since the position was created in 2001.

The Quebec-born poet lives in Baie Sainte-Marie, the largest Acadian region in Nova Scotia. She has a doctorate in francophone studies from the University of Louisiana and was nominated for the Governor General鈥檚 Literary Award in 2014.

The poet has been writing her whole life, a practice she says she keeps up daily.

LeBlanc describes her work as storytelling, with a narrative and plot, all in her "mother tongue" -- Acadian French.

She was appointed by the House of Commons and Senate speakers after being nominated by a selection committee for the two-year term.

Unlike past poets who have held the post, she plans to spend most of her time back home, where she has three children aged 12, nine, and six. She said she hopes to find ways in her new position to bring people to her "beautiful" home province.

The role of the parliamentary poet laureate is to write poetry for parliamentarians or for special occasions, to hold poetry readings, and to help curate the Library of Parliament鈥檚 poetry collection.

The position comes with a $20,000 stipend, $13,000 for travel expenses, and a budget for planning programming and translation services.

In a sit-down chat inside the Library of Parliament on Monday, LeBlanc told 麻豆传媒.ca that she had forgotten she had even submitted her name for the position. When she got a call just before Christmas letting her know she had been selected, it came as a 鈥渃omplete surprise.鈥�

It being her first week on the job, she鈥檚 yet to see what a day in the life of a poet laureate entails, but she was quickly inspired by the beauty of Parliament. She said she鈥檚 already thinking about finding a way to host poetry events on the Hill.

"Parties, let鈥檚 have parties! It鈥檚 such a beautiful building鈥� invite everyone in Nova Scotia, bring a little bit of Nova Scotia here, that would be fun," she said.

Here are some highlights from the conversation, from her views on the "system" of politics, and the relevance of poetry in a social-media era.

麻豆传媒.ca: What do you plan to bring to this new role? Will Parliament become your new muse?

Georgette LeBlanc: "Yeah it sort of is. I really don鈥檛 have a clear set answer. Nothing鈥檚 really been decided, but definitely muse, yes. The system, which, is it a system? All of that.鈥�

Do you follow politics closely?

I live in Canada so I don鈥檛 follow politics as you would鈥� but I鈥檓 affected by politics. I live in Canada so everyday I鈥檓 living in politics in that respect鈥�I come from a family [who were] very involved in politics, so for a large chunk of my life I was kind-off hearing uncles, my parents, working in and out and all kinds of aspects. I find it important, I find it interesting, it is its own world, but that鈥檚 just it -- it鈥檚 its own world and that I know, and completely respect. But politics is people and politics is the everyday of what鈥檚 happening, also how people are living.

Some people would say, it is 2018, why do we need a parliamentary poet laureate?

Because poetry is soul, poetry is imagination, is the creative spark. It鈥檚 the idea. Actually, this is an idea [gesturing to the room], Canada is an idea, Canada is an imagined community, Canada is a concept in some way. So poetry is the freest expression, it鈥檚 the most natural thing. I think to have a position here in government that sort of pays homage or respect, or holds that as a sacred thing, is a beautiful thing. I think it鈥檚 right, it鈥檚 righteous, it鈥檚 what should be.

Will all your work be done in Acadian French?

Yeah, in my French, in my language. And I say it鈥檚 my language, but it鈥檚 before even the Acadian language, it鈥檚 my poetic voice. I can write also in English and in other languages, but this Acadian French is really my mother tongue, is what I鈥檝e been speaking, what I鈥檝e been loving, living, do everything in all these years so it鈥檚 definitely going to be my language of choice.

What if an MP would like a poem in English, will it be translated?

Yeah I can write it in my mother tongue in French, and then have it translated. It鈥檚 great, it鈥檚 beautiful, I don鈥檛 even have to do the translating.

Your predecessor George Elliott Clarke spoke out saying that no one had asked him to write anything, are you worried at all about that?

I鈥檓 not concerned. I鈥檝e never been bored, ever.

What should Canadians expect to see from you over the next two years? Any themes or topics you specifically want to explore?

I can鈥檛 say at this point鈥� It鈥檚 really a matter of what the actual members of parliament want. In that respect George Elliott Clarke was right, was correct in saying, 鈥業f you鈥檙e interested, then solicit, or ask or whatever.鈥� There鈥檚 so many aspects that I find interesting and I鈥檓 quite passionate about, like cultural memory I find factually quite important. Memory, we are sort of in this zone now where with social media and everything鈥檚 so quick. We tend to lose history. History鈥檚 meaning is changing, and so that I find really interesting.

What about the next generation, and reaching those who are constantly on social media and may be wondering, 'What's a poet laureate?'

That鈥檚 it, that鈥檚 what I mean. It would be nice to get there too. Trying to make it relevant there too, because it is, it鈥檚 just how?