NATIONAL POETRY MONTH COMES TO AN END
National Poetry Month 2013 was an amazing success, and we have a lot of people to thank for the support! My Bindi, Literature for life, The Literary Press Group, The Canadian Library Association, and many others helped us to spread the word about National Poetry Month.
2013 marked the fifteenth year of National Poetry Month in Canada, and has been one of our most successful celebrations yet! Throughout April, poets were out in libraries, schools, pubs, community centres and on the street celebrating poetry. There were a huge number of poetry readings and spoken word events; workshops were given in many different cities to teach new poets how to get started; and there has been a huge number of amazing online poetry projects that have been started up.
Each year, the Mayor’s Poetry City Challenge is extended to cities across the country. This year, the challenge was enthusiastically taken on by city councils in Regina, Toronto, Saskatchewan, Guelph, Cobourg, Llloydminster, Waterloo, New Westminster, Surrey, New Glasgow, Sackville, Yorkton, Cambridge, Calgary, St John’s, Brantford, Victoria, Nanaimo, Whistler, Nelson, Jasper, Grande Prarie, North Battleford, Moose Jaw, Oshawa, Fredericton, any many more.
We can’t wait for next year!
ANNOUNCING THE RAYMOND SOUSTER, GERALD LAMPERT & PAT LOWTHER MEMORIAL AWARDS SHORTLIST
April 2, 2013, Toronto: The League of Canadian Poets (LCP) is pleased to announce the shortlist for the 2013 Raymond Souster, Pat Lowther and Gerald Lampert Memorial Awards. Congratulations to the authors for their fine submissions and many thanks to the jurors for their hard work on this year’s awards. Winners of these awards will be announced during a special ceremony at the annual LCP Poetry Fest and Conference to be held at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in downtown Toronto on June 8, 2013.
Raymond Souster Award: The Raymond Souster Award is given for a book of poetry by a League of Canadian Poets member published in the preceding year. The award honours the late Raymond Souster, an early founder of the League of Canadian Poets. The award carries a $1,000 prize.
Hummingbird by John Wall Barger (Palimpsest Press)
the Flicker tree: Okanagan Poems by Nancy Holmes (Ronsdale Press)
Wayworn Wooden Floors by Mark Lavorato (The Porcupine’s Quill)
Between Dusk and Night by Emily McGiffin (Brick Books)
The New Measures by A.F. Moritz (House of Anansi Press Inc.)
no ordinary place by Pamela Porter (Ronsdale Press)
2013 Jury: David Day, Louise Bernice Halfe, Barry Dempster
Click here to view author bios and jury citations.
Gerald Lampert Memorial Award Shortlist: The Gerald Lampert Memorial Award is given in the memory of Gerald Lampert, an arts administrator who organized authors’ tours and took a particular interest in the work of new writers. The award recognizes the best first book of poetry published by a Canadian in the preceding year. The award carries a $1,000 prize.
Charms Against Lightning by James Arthur (Copper Canyon Press)
I see my love more clearly from a distance by Nora Gould (Brick Books)
The Lease by Mathew Henderson (Coach House Books)
Sumptuary Laws by Nyla Matuk (Véhicule Press/A Signal Edition)
repeater by Andrew McEwan (BookThug)
Notebook M by Gillian Savigny (Insomniac Press)
2013 Jury: Kathy Mac, Marguerite Pigeon, Heather Cadsby
Click here to view author bios and jury citations.
Pat Lowther Memorial Award Shortlist: The Pat Lowther Memorial Award is given for a book of poetry by a Canadian woman published in the preceding year, in memory of the late Pat Lowther, whose career was cut short by her untimely death in 1975. The award carries a $1,000 prize.
Soul Mouth by Marilyn Bowering (Exile Editions)
Monkey Ranch by Julie Bruck (Brick Books)
The Book of Marvels by Lorna Crozier (Greystone Books)
Slow Curve Out by Maureen Scott Harris (Pedlar Press)
A Grain of Rice by Evelyn Lau (Oolichan Books)
Song and Spectacle by Rachel Rose (Harbour Publishing)
2013 Jury: Kate Braid, Gay Allison, Marsha Barber