It’s National Poetry Month’s 20th anniversary in Canada, and all month we’ve been ruminating on the number twenty. What does twenty years feel like? What does twenty years sound like? Is twenty a big number or is it small? Where will Canadian poetry be in another twenty years? These questions all felt too big to…

“Writing is a process of self-discipline you must learn before you can call yourself a writer. There are people who write, but I think they are quite different than people who must.” Harper Lee When people ask me to describe my writing process – aka what is my writing discipline – my response is that…

The reveal of the Griffin Poetry Prize shortlist is a significant date on the calendars of all those interested in Canadian poetry; it is the world’s largest prize for a first edition single collection of poetry written in English. Candidates are shortlisted in two categories: Canadian and International. The shortlist was released today, April 10, 2018, and the…

Overwhelmed by all the amazing National Poetry Month content coming out every day? Need a refresher? We’ll be rounding up our blog content, along with the awesome stuff our friends at Open Book, All Lit Up, 49th Shelf, and CBC Books are releasing – plus other NPM news that catches our eye each week; all month long.…

Al Purdy has been described at various times and by various writers as the “first,” the “last,” and the “most” Canadian poet, but for many of us he is simply the Canadian poet – the poet who captured and came to personify the distinctive genius of Canada. In a creative career that began when he…

We are so glad to be able to fund National Poetry Month readings all across the country, thanks to the generous support of Canada Council for the Arts. Today, we’re sharing a look at 20 of the events we’re funding this #NPM18; maybe there’s one taking place in a city near you! Have you always wondered what…

League member Leah MacLean-Evans lives on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg people. She’s the 2017 fiction winner of the Blodwyn Memorial Prize. Her writing has appeared in Qwerty, untethered, Ottawater, On Spec Magazine, and elsewhere. She has an MFA in Writing from the University of Saskatchewan and is the proofreader of Grain Magazine.  We spoke with Leah  – the winner of our 2018 National Broadsheet Contest –…

In case you didn’t already know, April is the League’s favourite time of year! It’s National Poetry Month, and this year is extra special because we get to celebrate its twentieth anniversary! Established in Canada in April 1998 by the League of Canadian Poets, NPM brings together schools, publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, and poets from…