Zach Polis is a poet, screenwriter, and lyrical essayist whose work explores consciousness, inner life, the politics of perception, and the ecological intelligence of place.

He studied playwriting with Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott at the University of Alberta, where he completed his degree in Drama and Creative Writing with Distinction, and has since trained in screenwriting at the National Film and Television School in the United Kingdom, New York University, and UCLA. He completed Curtis Brown Creative’s six-month novel-writing course in 2026 and is currently developing work across fiction and screen.

Zach was the inaugural Poet Laureate of St. Albert and served as Alberta Artist in Residence and Arts Ambassador for the Government of Alberta. His work has been exhibited by the Art Gallery of Alberta, and curated by Alessia Glaviano for Vogue Italia. He has been featured in British Vogue and Teen Vogue.

He has performed his poetry at the Poetry Project at St. Mark’s Church in New York and at Push the Boat Out in Edinburgh, a UNESCO City of Literature, as well as on CBC Radio. His practice has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, the Edmonton Arts Council, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and Writers' Trust of Canada.