City of Nanaimo set to Celebrate Local Poetry

April marks National Poetry Month

NEWS RELEASE - Distributed April 3, 2018 9:30 AM

April marks National Poetry Month in Canada, and Nanaimo is set to celebrate. Established by the League of Canadian Poets, National Poetry Month brings together schools, publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries and poets from across the country to celebrate poetry, writing, small presses and the contribution of poets and writers to the cultural life of Canadians.

"Launching poetry month is very exciting for me as Nanaimo's Poet Laureate," said Tina Biello. "I think the title of The Elder Project's book sums up what every poet tries to imbue in their writing: Every Word has a Spirit. Poetry connects us and takes us to places we might not expect to go. To quote from the poem 'Tradition' by my mentor Patrick Lane:

By the glacial river I walked in the hollow paw prints a grizzly bear left ten thousand years ago this morning.

Have a great month and please come out and enjoy some of these events."

*APRIL 1 to 30 - HIGH SCHOOL POETRY CONTEST The City of Nanaimo's Youth Poet Laureate, Kailey DeFehr, invites high school students to submit their poems based on the theme "Out of the Darkness". Cash prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. The deadline for submissions is Monday, April 30, 2018. Submission details can be found on the link below.

*APRIL 4 - EVERY WORD HAS A SPIRIT Join Nanaimo and Ladysmith high school students as they read their poems from the "Elder Project" and "Who We Are" initiatives with the City of Nanaimo's Poet Laureate Tina Biello. The event will be held at 7:00 pm at the Port Theatre.

*APRIL 5 - POETRY GALA CELEBRATION Join Canada's Parliamentary Poet Laureate (2017) George Elliott Clarke, and other Vancouver Island Poet Laureates at the Nanaimo Museum (100 Commercial Street) at 1:00 pm (in partnership with The Wordstorm Society of the Arts).

*APRIL 5 - CULTURE & HERITAGE AWARDS CEREMONY The awards ceremony will feature poetry readings by the City of Nanaimo's Poet Laureate Tina Biello, and Canada's Parliamentary Poet Laureate (2017) George Elliott Clarke, at the Port Theatre at 6:30 pm. Tickets are FREE but must be reserved using the link below.

*APRIL 21 - POET LAUREATE READING SERIES Enjoy readings by poets Betsy Warland and Kait Braid at the Vancouver Island Regional Library (Harbourfront Branch) at 1:00 pm.

Print News Release