Heartfelt: A Poetry Experience for Valentine’s Day

Meet with a Canadian poet and receive a custom poem written for you on the spot!

This event is a fundraiser in support of the League of Canadian Poets. Donate today.

February 11 & 14 2023
Cost: $20 per poem
Experience Time: 20 minutes 

This February, we invite you to join us for Heartfelt: a custom poetry event where a Canadian poet will craft a one-of-a-kind poem for you in the moment.

Spontaneous poetry writing is a unique way to celebrate the feeling, imagery, and senses of a special moment, event or person, and to engage with poetry as a creative art and practice. 

Heartfelt is a conversation. After chatting and discussing your poem topic, a professional Canadian poet will write a one-of-a-kind spontaneous poem just for you. This experience is a creative and accessible way to celebrate Valentine’s Day and makes an excellent gift to experience together or give to a special person in your life.

Every ticket purchased will support the League of Canadian Poets in our ever-expanding outreach and support of diverse poetry projects across Canada, regional poet initiatives, readings, and events, mentorship with emerging poets and as well as our work in improving equity and diversity for literary arts in Canada. 

Tickets are limited! Purchase ahead of February 8 to secure your ticket!

What is Heartfelt?

Heartfelt is an opportunity to connect with a professional Canadian poet to create a personalized poem in celebration of Valentine’s day, a special occasion, treasured memory, beloved pet, or anything you are interested in.  

Heartfelt connects via Zoom. Log into Zoom via desktop, mobile app or browser. You’ll receive an email on the day of or day before with the link to connect you to the event!

• Purchase your ticket via Eventbrite 
• On your ticket date, follow instructions sent via email. 
• You’ll join us in our poetry writing room where you will be connected with a professional Canadian poet. 
• You’ll chat with a poet and select the subject of your custom poem.
  • This can be anything you’d like. We recommend subjects like a special trip, a dedication to a loved one, or a favourite place.
• When the poet has enough details to create a poem, they will get to work creating your spontaneous and one-of-a-kind poem and will recite it to you in the moment. 
• Within the same day, you’ll receive an image of your hand-written, custom poem via, signed by your partner poet. 
•  you can print, share, frame, or send your poem as you like! 

This event is perfect if: 

• You would like to commemorate a special event, moment, or time in your life  
• You would like to create a unique portrait of your relationship or friendship in the form of a lasting poem  
• You are looking for a unique Valentine’s Day Gift for someone else that is safe to send during the pandemic 
• You are looking to connect with loved ones from afar 
• You would like to have a beautiful personal poem written by a Canadian poet 
• You would like to send the gift of connection and spontaneous poetry to a loved one or thank a front-line worker, neighbour, barista, checkout person or acquaintance for their support 

Enjoy an imaginative Valentine’s Day experience that connects you with a poet, your own story and mirrors your words in the form of a meaningful personal poem – all while benefitting the League of Canadian Poets with your generous donation

FAQs 

How long does this experience last?: You will need to dedicate 20 minutes for this event, but will speak privately with your poet for about 10 minutes; the poet will then write a poem and read it aloud to you  

Can more than one person participate in a timeslot?: Our poets can accommodate up to 2 people for the same poetry writing experience, but no more. Please note that all timeslots are in Eastern Standard Time. If you have questions about your spontaneous poetry writing experience, please email [email protected]  

Can I book a specific poet?: Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to connect you with the poet of your choice. However, please let us know if you have a specific poet in mind, and will do our best to accommodate you. 

Do I need to have a topic in mind?: Absolutely not! Our poets will prompt you with conversation, questions and insights to help you to form your thoughts and a poem.

Can I work with a poet to create a gift for someone else?: Yes! A personal poem that comes from the heart is an excellent gift for a loved one. 

Can I gift someone else a spontaneous poetry writing experience?: Yes! When you click to sign up for the event, you’ll have the option of sending it as a gift. If you have questions about this, please email [email protected]

Proceeds from this Event

All proceeds from this event will be contributed to the League of Canadian Poets. Donations to the League help us grow and sustain our outreach programs (like Poetry Pause), create paid publication opportunities for poets (like the LCP Chapbook Series), support our awards in recognition of the incredible talents in Canadian poetry, and better connect and support our hundreds of poet members across Canada. Your donations to the League go directly towards furthering our goal of nurturing a professional poetic community in Canada.