Indigenous Poets Community Committee, League of Canadian Poets  

Call for Submissions: Open July 15 to August 31  

Attention Canadian Indigenous Peoples, First Nations, Métis/Michif, and Inuit Poets: we want your voices! The League of Canadian Poets and the Indigenous Poets Community Committee are seeking submissions for an upcoming chapbook. 

Theme: When You Ask Me Who I Am 

We live in a time where identity is a very charged topic. When someone asks you, “Who are you?”, what surfaces for you right now? What comes up for you about your identity? And how do you respond? 

Depending on who’s asking– your grandmother, the Land or the river, a stranger or a creature from your dreams, a piece of beadwork or a forest animal, a photograph or a belonging of your Ancestor — your reply will likely change. 

We’re looking for poems that explore identity in dialogue, whether they’re conversations you hope to have, ones you’re glad you never did, or even those that seem forever impossible.  

Your poem could be a powerful manifesto, a prayer, a diary entry, or a visual poem. We’re eager for work that plays with form, language and content, delving into the complexities and nuances of identity and how that plays out in poetry. 

Submissions that take on the relational and open doors to strange, wild and relevant dialogue are highly valued. We invite you to capture the interplay between ‘I’ and ‘you’ in a ways you haven’t yet imagined! 

Submission Guidelines

• Submissions are open to Indigenous, First Nations, Inuit and Métis/Michif poets living and working in the regional colonially known as Canada.
• All submissions must be in DOC, DOCX or PDF format.
• Open to LCP members and general public. 
• Submit only 1 poem. 
• We accept simultaneous submissions. If your piece is accepted elsewhere, please notify us immediately.
• Poems must be unpublished.
• Poem length should be no more than 1-2 pages and/or 50 lines (including blank lines)
• Please complete the submission form in its entirety. If you have trouble with the form, contact [email protected]
• Selected poets will receive a $25 honorarium per selected poem.
• Submit by August 31, 2023.