Faculty member Julie Pellissier-Lush welcomed as Poet Laureate of PEI

Islanders gathered today at Fanningbank to welcome and celebrate Prince Edward Island’s new Poet Laureate Julie Pellissier-Lush.

In her new role, Ms. Pellissier-Lush will act as a spokesperson for literature in Prince Edward Island and raise awareness of poetry and the spoken word.

“It is my great pleasure to welcome Julie Pellissier-Lush as our province’s newest Poet Laureate and ambassador for culture and the literary arts,” said the Honourable Antoinette Perry, Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island. “Islanders will be inspired by her amazing capacity to use the beautiful and powerful art of poetry to express her love of our rich Island history and the Mi’kmaq culture.”

Julie Pellissier-Lush is an actress and best-selling author of ‘My Mi’kmaq Mother’. Born in Summerside, she is a graduate of University of Winnipeg and works with young families at the Mi’kmaq Family Resource Centre. She wrote and performs in Mi’kmaq legends and was vice president of the Aboriginal Women’s Association for four terms.

“We have great confidence in Julie’s ability to perform in this special and very important role,” said Premier Wade MacLauchlan. “She will engage Islanders in the literary arts and particularly poetry which Islanders enjoy so much. We look forward to the important perspective that Julie will bring as a fine writer, storyteller and one of the Island’s most loved Indigenous people.”

Ms. Pellissier-Lush replaces Deidre Kessler who has just completed her three-year term. Previous PEI Poets Laureate include: John Smith (2003-2005), Frank Ledwell (2005-2008), David Helwig (2008-2010), Hugh MacDonald (2010-2013), Diane Hicks Morrow (2013-2016), and Deirdre Kessler (2016-2019).

Poets Laureate often choose to engage in composing poetry related to legislative or state occasions and events of significance, visiting schools, presenting or arranging poetry readings and assisting with writing workshops and other activities.

The PEI Public Library Service has responsibility for the program. Poets Laureate are chosen through a peer assessment process and appointed by the Minister of Education, Early Learning and Culture. To be selected, the Poet Laureate must be active and recognized as a poet of stature who has published at least one volume of poetry within the last ten years with a reputable publishing house, or whose body of work over the years has brought honour to themselves and the province.

The tradition of crowning poets with a wreath of laurel dated from classical Greece and became an institution in 1688 with the designation of the first British Poet Laureate. The custom honours the very best of poets and generally takes in to consideration the whole writing career of an individual rather than one specific work.