Emma Thomas "Ruth" Pitter was a 20th-century British poet. she was born on 7 November 1897 in Ilford. She was the first woman ever to receive the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 1955, and was appointed a Commander of the British Empire in 1979 to honour her many contributions to English literature. In 1974 she was named a Companion of Literature, the highest honour given by the Royal Society of Literature.

Pitter began writing poetry early in life under the influence of her parents, George and Louisa Pitter, both primary schoolteachers. In 1920, she published her first book of poetry with the help of Hilaire Belloc. Despite her business and factory work, Pitter managed to spend a few hours a day writing poetry. She went on to publish 18 volumes of new and collected verse over a 70-year career as a published poet. Many of her volumes met with some critical and financial success. Ruth Pitter died on 29 February in England.