Libraries, schools, and arts councils have traditionally promoted the appreciation of poetry in communities. Festivals share the pleasure between communities, bringing in writers from out of town or country. Heard any unintended poems you want to share?
by Heather Pyrcz. “Caveat: A short history of Canadian poetry will not please everyone. Poets are left out, lacunae that some will think unforgivable. Frye suggested that anthologies ought to have blank pages at the end on which the reader may enter his own neglected favorites. I have used a 1945 birth date as my end point, although there are a few exceptions for reasons of inclusion. I have clustered the poets in unfamiliar groupings. There are many constellations we could form, each one revealing something different and important about the poets. This digital history page, I hope, will be thought of as a reference point, one of many in an ongoing conversation about the rich meaning of Canadian poetry.”
This awesome resource can be found at youngpoets.ca.
“Since it was founded in 1969, Black Moss Press has built a national reputation for its contribution to Canadian literature. Quill and Quire has called Black Moss one of Canada’s most important literary presses.” Check out the Palm Poets collectors series.
“Black Moss continues its commitment to introduce poetry to people in unusual venues. Our authors have read on factory floors, in hockey rinks and before boxing matches.”
Windsor,
Ontario,
Canada
http://www.blackmosspress.com/
“The Place on the Net for Kids. First Calgary Savings Book Rapport Educational Programme of WordFest web site is definitely the place on the Net for kids concerning local, national and international children’s literature—not to mention an excellent resource for homework.”
See links for kids, parents and teachers.
Calgary,
Alberta,
Canada
http://www.bookrapport.com/
“Dedicated to uniting people and organizations around the world in the global promotion of poets and poetry.”
See CFPChatForum | Calendar
“The Federation of BC Writers is a not-for-profit organization established in 1976 to contribute to a supportive environment for writing in the province.”
British Columbia,
Canada
http://bcwriters.com/
“ANIMATION SOUND POETRY DANCE THEATRE EXTRAVAGANZA. Conceived and Directed by Kate Alton and Ross Manson. Based on poetry of the Four Horsemen: Rafael Barreto-Rivera, Paul Dutton, Steve McCaffery, and bpNichol. Starring Jennifer Dahl, Graham McKelvie, Noako Murakoshi, and Andrea Nann.”
“What is a poem? In the 1970s, four Canadian sound poets turned the literary world on its ear. Now, director Ross Manson and choreographer Kate Alton have teamed up to bring us a playful tribute to the poetry of The Four Horsemen and a cheeky love-in with the swinging seventies. An outtasight, multi-media extravaganza with dance, song, video and animation that everyone can dig! So far out, it’s back in.”
Date: Running: March 13 - April 1, 2007,
Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC), Ottawa,
Ontario,
Canada
http://www.gctc.ca/seasons/06-07/horsemen.html
“Mr. MacDonald works in Ottawa and can usually be seen, but not heard, where authors congregate. He tries to project humor into otherwise serious situations…”
Ottawa,
Ontario,
Canada
http://www.johnwmacdonald.com/blog/
“The Manitoba Writers’ Guild was inaugurated in August 1981 at Aubigny, Manitoba, as a grassroots organization created for and by Manitoba writers. From the 20 members who joined after that first meeting, the Guild has grown to over 550. We continue to expand our services and programming to find, develop and promote literary talent all over the province.”
Check out the guild’s Show Me the Poetry project, bringing “the fun back into reading poetry.”
Manitoba,
Canada
http://www.mbwriter.mb.ca/
“This year’s theme is …. Poetry: Future (In)tense. What will poetry sound like in the future? What is a techno-poem? How will poetry fuse with other art forms like theatre or music? Instead of science-fiction, what would science-poetry sound like? …”
“Established in Canada in April 1999 by the League of Canadian Poets, National Poetry Month brings together schools, publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, and poets across the country to celebrate poetry and its vital place in Canada’s culture. Communities and businesses participate through readings, festivals, book displays, and other events.”
Date: April 2007: readings and events across Canada
Canada
http://www.poets.ca/linktext/npm.htm
“now hear)) this! presents the talents and tutelage of professional writers, editors and other industry professionals to the public, co-ordinates with other arts-based community programs, schools and literacy projects, and, above all, promotes Canadian writing and literature through a culture of self-expression, participation and inclusion.”
An initiative of the Descant Arts and Letters Foundation.
Toronto,
Ontario,
Canada
http://nowhearthis.ca/
“The main aims of the Canadian Poetry Association are: To promote the reading, writing, publishing and preservation of poetry in Canada through the individual efforts of members; To promote communication among poets, publishers and the general public; To encourage leadership and participation from members and to encourage the formation and development of autonomous local chapters.”
Features include the Canadian Poetry Association’s magazine/newsletter POEMATA, the CanLit Search Engine, and members poetry.
Pandora's Collective: Promoting the Arts That Inspire the World to Take Notice of Itself. “Founded in June 2002 by poets Bonnie Nish and Sita Carboni, the collective is “dedicated to promoting literacy and self-expression in the community.”
Check out their Vancouver Literary Event Listings page and explore their Poets Directory.
Contest page — Next contest: Kisses and Popsicles Spring Poetry Contest (Deadline May 15, 2008, Winners announced June 1, 2008).
Vancouver,
British Columbia,
Canada
http://www.pandorascollective.com/
“The Prince Edward Island Writers’ Guild was founded in 1989 by a group of writers who saw the necessity to unify literary programmes such as writing workshops and readings, to create a formal intersection for discussion and action, and to speak periodically as one voice for the Island’s literary community.”
The guild partners with the PEI Council of the Arts to host the annual Island Literary Awards.
Prince Edward Island,
Canada
http://www.peiwriters.ca/
“The Quebec Writers’ Federation (QWF) is playing an increasingly prominent role in the life of the Quebec English-language literary community as an arts presenter and professional and community educator, as well as the representative of Quebec’s English-language writers.”
Quebec,
Canada
http://www.qwf.org/
“A celebration of poetry and literacy in cities across Canada, the UK, and Ireland… The second annual Random Acts of Poetry week is a Canadian initiative that promotes poetry, poets and literacy in a fresh way to everyday people in their everyday lives. This year (October 3rd-9th, 2006), 27 poets from across Canada will be joined by 10 poets from England, Scotland and Ireland, making the event truly international after only one year. Watch for local poets from your community reading poems to people on the street, at bus stops, schools, libraries, hair salons and in local schools.”
Date: Annual. Previous: October 3rd-9th, 2006
Canada
http://www.abebooks.com/docs/randomactsofpoetry/index.shtml
“Founded in 1969, the Saskatchewan Writers Guild is a province-wide organization representing writers in all disciplines and at all levels of development. It is one of the largest writers organizations in Canada with a membership of over 500. The Guild’s mission is to improve the status of the writer in Saskatchewan.”
Saskatchewan,
Canada
http://www.skwriter.com/
“The Manitoba Writers’ Guild program Show Me the Poetry! aims to bring Manitoban poetry into the lives of high school students in a way that puts no pressure on them to respond. Students should be allowed/encouraged to read/listen to and appreciate a poem by a Manitoban poet every week, without worrying about having to discuss it, write about it, or be quizzed on it later in English Language Arts (or any other) class. (Of course, voluntary discussion of or response to any poem should not be discouraged.)”
Manitoba,
Canada
http://www.mbwriter.mb.ca/poetry/home.html
“Mr. David Brydges, Cobalt native and poet, having become interested in the historical and literary significance of physician and nationally renowned poet, Dr. William Henry Drummond, a major figure in the early part of the century in Cobalt, Ontario, has spearheaded a unique cultural opportunity for the area.”
“The First Annual Spring Pulse Poetry Festival will be held in Cobalt April 3–6th, 2008.”
Deadline for Dr. William Henry Drummond Poetry Contest is March 15, 2008.
See poems of the week archive.
Date: Next Festival: April 3–6th, 2008
Cobalt,
Ontario,
Canada
http://www.springpulsepoetryfestival.com/
“Conflict Resolution, Arts and Intercultural Experience (CRANE) is a University of British Columbia initiative exploring arts-based approaches to cross cultural conflicts. Visual and performing arts, music and traditional arts are important resources for bridging differences. They take us out of stuck places and help provide a foundation for building constructive, mutually respectful relationships. If we are to find ways to address ongoing local and global conflicts, we need the creativity and imagination evoked by the arts.”
“Poetry is an art form with a history of appeal across cultures. The CRANE project is soliciting poetry about conflict, peace, religious or cultural differences, or conflict resolution. Our goal is to collect poems from a wide range of people and publish a selection of them online and in print.* This collection will be available without charge online, and will –we hope - inspire others to create poetry and art that adds to collective understandings of conflict and ways to bridge it.”
International Poetry Contest: Writing New Lines for Peace. Theme: Animating Peace through Poetry. Submission Deadline: March 30, 2007 See link for details.
Date: Next deadline. March 30, 2007
UBC Faculty of Law, University of British Columbia, Vancouver,
British Columbia,
Canada
http://www.law.ubc.ca/pdr/crane/contest/index.html
“The role of the Parliamentary Poet Laureate is to encourage and promote the importance of literature, culture and language in Canadian society. Federal legislators created the position in 2001 to draw Canadians’ attention to poetry, both spoken and written, and its role in our lives.”
The curent Parliamentary Poet Laureate is John Steffler. See CBC story.
Ottawa,
Ontario,
Canada
http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/poet/index.asp?lang=e
“…the Scream had become more than just an annual outdoor reading. It was a celebration of the vast amount literary activity happening every day in this country. It was an affirmation of our indebtedness to everyone who reads, writes, publishes, discusses or gathers in the name of literature. “
Date: July 2007
High Park, Toronto,
Ontario,
Canada
http://www.thescream.ca/
Poetry in transit in the National Capital Region. Arc is a proud partner in this City of Ottawa initiative.
Ottawa,
Ontario,
Canada
http://www.arcpoetry.ca/transpoetry/
“The Vancouver International Writers Festival is one of North America’s premiere literary events, held annually over 6 days in late October.”
“Spreading the Word, the Festival’s Schools Program is the largest children’s literary event in Canada. Each year we present great children’s writers to over 6,000 BC children and young people, in English and in French.”
Date: October 17-22, 2006
Vancouver,
British Columbia,
Canada
http://www.writersfest.bc.ca/
“Linking Canada’s Writers with Canada’s Schools…. WIER is:
The WIER Taps (in PDF) are selections of writings from Writers in Electronic Residence from both Elementary/Intermediate classes and Secondary classes.
Canada
http://www.wier.ca/
“The Writers Guild of Alberta is a provincial arts service organization that represents both professional and emerging writers in Alberta.”
Alberta,
Canada
http://www.writersguild.ab.ca/
“The Writers’ Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador (WANL) is a not-for-profit organization established in 1987 to contribute to a supportive environment for writing in the province.”
Newfoundland,
Canada
http://www.writersalliance.nf.ca/
“The Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick is a community of writers, both amateur and professional, who strive to develop the craft of writing and who work to promote and encourage the literary arts in New Brunswick.”
The Federation also has a blog.
New Brunswick,
Canada
http://www.umce.ca/wfnb/
“The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia was established in 1975 to foster creative writing and the profession of writing in Nova Scotia; to provide advice and assistance to writers at all stages of their careers; to encourage greater public recognition of Nova Scotian writers and their achievements; and, to enhance the literary arts in our regional and national culture “
Nova Scotia,
Canada
http://www.writers.ns.ca/
“Welcome to the “Youth” section of www.youngpoets.ca, brought to you by Canada’s national association of professional poets, the League of Canadian Poets. If you’re a kid or teenager who likes poetry, we’ve got a site full of stuff you’ll like. Linked to this page you’ll find a bunch of games, resources, helpful tips, and things to do. Plus, check out our e-zine, Re:verse, a good place to send your own poetry.”
“Welcome to the Teachers’ Staff Lounge of www.youngpoets.ca! We are Canada’s national association of professional poets, and we want to help you share the joy of poetry with your students. Poetry sections of your language or English curriculum can be a challenge to teach, so we’ve gathered lots of helpful and stimulating ideas and materials for you to use.”
Canada
http://www.youngpoets.ca
“Believed to have its origin in the 1930s, World Poetry Day is now celebrated in hundreds of countries around the world. This day provides a perfect opportunity to examine poets and their craft in the classroom. In 1999, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) also designated March 21 as World Poetry Day.”
International
http://www.readwritethink.org/calendar/calendar_day.asp?amp;id=308
(Note: to search all blogs at arcpoetry.ca, use the Search form in the top right corner of the screen just below the Arc Poetry Magazine textlogo.)
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