Membership

Joining the League as a member supports the work our organization does to elevate the cultural significance of poetry and champion the role of poets. In addition to joining a community of over 1,000 poets and poetry lovers, League members gain access to unique opportunities to make connections, seek publication, and more.

Members of the League are professional poets who are actively contributing to the development, growth, and public profile of poetry in Canada. We are happy to have members at all stages in their careers, and we are proud of the valuable network of writers this has created! Find out more about how to join the League on this page.

The League recognizes the historical and ongoing colonial significance of our organization name, and we acknowledge that not all members of our community identify with the term "Canadian." We support these poets and their right to self-identify while still having access to the programs and services offered by the League.

Benefits of membership

At the League, we understand that being a poet can be a thankless calling, but we are grateful to all those who follow it. Now more than ever, our culture needs poets and poetry to inspire empathy, critical thinking, and meaningful communication, and being a member of the League means being part of the only national organization bringing poetry to the front lines.

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Connections

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Exclusive funding

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Submission opportunities

By joining the League, you can benefit from our variety of programs and services:

  • Opportunities to meet and network with other professional writers across Canada through Community Committees, social events, and open mic nights
  • Access to the League's members-only Facebook group
  • Access to member-only calls for submissions and discounted submission fees
  • Eligibility for programs and funds supporting mentorship, such as the P.K. Page mentorship program and the League's workshop microgrants
  • Eligibility for the annual Raymond Souster Award, awarded to a new book of poetry by a League member
  • Eligibility for paid readings programs, which disburse more than $100,000 to poet for readings and class visits
  • A member profile page on Poets.ca where you can promote yourself and your work
  • The option to vote on crucial League business issues at the Annual General Meeting
  • Access to a group health benefits plan, for an additional fee, which includes a drug plan, hospital coverage, out-of-hospital benefits, vision care, hearing benefits, dental care, and specialists’ services. (To be eligible, members must be under 71 years of age, have a valid Provincial Health Card, and live in Canada at the time coverage becomes effective.)

Membership eligibility criteria

Annual membership fee: $185

Successful applicants for Full Membership will have at least one of the following:

  • One or more full-length book(s) of poetry published by or forthcoming (within 6 months) from a member of the Literary Press Group 

  • One or more full-length book(s) of poetry published by or forthcoming (within 6 months) from an established university press (eg. University of Toronto Press, University of Alberta Press, etc.)

Poets who do not meet the above criteria, but who have a significant history of publication, may apply for full membership addressing the following additional eligibility criteria:

  • One or more self-published book(s) of poetry

  • Two or more published chapbooks 

  • A literary journal publishing history spanning 50+ publications 

  • Poetry prizes and awards 

  • Literary grants received for poetry projects

Poetry must be in French or English for the membership committee to review. If the published poems are in a language other than French or English, a substantial selection of poems in translation must be made available in English.

Annual Membership fee: $185

Successful applicants for Full Membership will have at least one of the following:

  • 2-3 seasons of competitive slam poetry experience
  • 3+ years public feature performance history, outside of open mics (spoken word poets only)
  • 10+ paid feature performances (spoken word poets only)

Poets who do not meet the above criteria, but who have a significant history of publication, may apply for full membership addressing the following additional eligibility criteria:

  • A literary journal publishing history spanning 50+ publications 
  • Poetry prizes and awards 
  • Literary grants received for poetry projects 
  • Extensive performance history outside of competitions and open mics 
  • Professionally produced videos or albums 

Poetry must be in French or English for the membership committee to review. If the published poems are in a language other than French or English, a substantial selection of poems in translation must be made available in English.

Annual membership fee: $70

Successful applicants for Associate Membership will have at least one of the following:

  • Publication in any LCP programs (eg. Poetry Pause, Poem in Your Pocket, LCP Chapbook Series) 
  • Chapbook published by a chapbook press or publisher 
  • Two or more poems published in established literary journals (online or in print) 
  • Having been awarded a creator grant for work on a poetry project from federal, provincial, or municipal government funding agencies 

Poets with a demonstrated commitment to continued publication and recognition, who do not meet the above criteria, may apply for associate membership using the following additional eligibility criteria:

  • Self-published chapbook(s) 
  • Formal education specializing in poetry (eg. Undergraduate Creative Writing degree, Humber School for Writers Summer Workshop, etc.) 
  • Mentee experience with an established poet 
  • Experience working with poetry literary journals or publishers 
  • Limited performance history outside of competitions and open mics 

Applications for Full membership that include a book of poetry will be evaluated using the following criteria:

Professionalism of book(s) — 30% 

  • Design, typesetting 
  • Findability (eg. how can a reader find and/or purchase the book?) 

Journal publications — 20%

  • Minimum of 3 different journals represented in CV

Education and prizes — 20%

  • Workshops 
  • Mentorships 
  • Classes 
  • Prizes and awards

Community involvement (in-person or remote) — 20% 

  • Event organizing 
  • Open mic participation 
  • Feature set performances 
  • Volunteering (eg. Selection panel, committee, Board, jury, editorial, etc.) 
  • Publishing (eg. Managing a journal, small press, etc.) 

Sophistication of craft — 10%

Applications for Full membership from print poets without a book of poetry will be evaluated using the following criteria:

Journal and chapbook publications — 50% 

  • Quantity (50+ pages of published poetry, online and/or in print)  
  • Variety (2+ chapbook presses and/or 15+ journals represented in CV) 
  • Professionalism of publications (eg. design, typesetting, findability)

Education and prizes — 20%

  • Workshops 
  • Mentorships 
  • Classes 
  • Prizes and awards

Community involvement (in-person or remote) — 20% 

  • Event organizing 
  • Open mic participation 
  • Feature set performances 
  • Volunteering (eg. Selection panel, committee, Board, jury, editorial, etc.) 
  • Publishing (eg. Managing a journal, small press, etc.) 

Sophistication of craft — 10%

Spoken word applications for Full membership will be evaluated on the following:

Community involvement — 40%

  • Event organizing 
  • Open mic participation 
  • Feature set performances 
  • Variety (minimum of different series represented in performance history) 

Performance, presence, and cultural context — 40% 

Education and prizes — 10%

  • Workshops 
  • Mentorships 
  • Classes 
  • Prizes and awards 

Portfolio — 10%

  • Videos online 
  • Journal publications 
  • Recordings  

Your CV should clearly summarize your education and publication/performance history as a poet.

Your CV does not need to be formatted in any particular way, but should be clearly separated into categories; we suggest publications and performances, community engagement, and education.

Publications and performances should include a comprehensive list of your major publications and performances; you do not need to list every performance or publication.

Community engagement should indicate events you have hosted or organized within the poetry community.

Education should outline such opportunities as residencies, classes, courses, or mentorships that you have either attended or facilitated. For instance, include if you’ve hosted a workshop for poets, been mentored by a prominent poet or mentored a poet.

Download a sample print poetry CV or sample spoken word CV as a starting point.

If you are having difficulty with your application, email [email protected].

Pricing

The League is committed to keeping our services as barrier-free as possible for professional poets wishing to join our community. As such, we have a modest selection of measures in place to keep our fees fair and accessible.

Annual membership fees cover the League's membership year, which begins April 1.

  • Fees for new members are pro-rated to the month in which they join
  • Fee waivers and reductions are available in limited quantities upon request
  • Members returning after a lapsed membership may be eligible for a pro-rated fee
  • Discounts are available for Associate members studying poetry at a post-secondary level
  • Fees are payable in installments

Member Directory

Our member directory is a comprehensive and searchable database of professional poets in Canada.


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