Mayor’s Poetry City Challenge, Charlottetown

City Hall

 

Are you curious to know what kind of sonnet Dianne Hicks Morrow is going to “lay on” Charlottetown politicians tomorrow? I certainly am! As poet laureate, Dianne will be opening tomorrow’s council meeting with a poem. Anyone can attend the evening meeting at 7 pm on May 13th, Charlottetown City Hall. Here are the details in the press release:

Charlottetown City Council is participating in the Mayor’s Poetry City Challenge which will feature PEI’s Poet Laureate, Dianne Hicks Morrow, opening the May Council meeting with an original poem.

The Mayor’s Poetry City Challenge project encourages municipal councils across Canada to take a few minutes at the beginning of their Council meetings to recognize the poets in their communities and the contribution of poetry to the arts in Canada. This initiative was created by Regina Mayor, Michael Fougere in 2012 and 28 communities across Canada will be taking part in The Challenge this year.

“We are so pleased to open the May council meeting with this original poem,” said Mayor Clifford Lee. “Arts and Culture play a very important role in Charlottetown and it is great to highlight and recognize the amazing talent on PEI. This is Charlottetown City Council’s first time participating in the Mayor’s Poetry City Challenge and we hope to continue in the years to follow.”

The current PEI Poet Laureate, Dianne Hicks Morrow, is an award winning poet and she has also written several books. Ms. Hicks Morrow has given workshops and readings across Canada. She has prepared an original short dramatic monologue, in sonnet form, which she will present at the beginning of the May Council meeting.

“I am delighted that Mayor Lee has taken up the Mayor’s Poetry City Challenge and I commend the City of Charlottetown for the recent launch of Poetry in Transit,” said Dianne Hicks Morrow, PEI Poet Laureate. “These are great ways to show that poetry belongs in our daily lives. By next spring I’d like to see the Mayor’s Poetry Challenge spread to additional municipal councils across PEI.”

The next City Council meeting will be held at City Hall on Monday, May 13 at 7 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

To contact the current PEI Poet Laureate to discuss this and other poetry initiatives email peipoetlaureate@gmail.com.

 

Reading in Montague on June 1st

A diverse group of readers: Jeff Bursey, Kathleen Hamilton, Beth E. Janzen, and Orysia Dawydiak will be reading at the Montague library on June 1st from 2 pm until 4 pm. The event is hosted by The Montague Library Writers Guild. There will be light refreshments and books for sale. I’m looking forward to it! This group (+ Steve Mayoff who unfortunately isn’t able to attend the Montague reading) read in Summerside last January, and had a great time. Prepare to be entertained!

 

Dianne Reads in Montague – Pictures

Dianne Hicks Morrow read at The Montague Rotary Library on Feb. 2, 2013, her first public reading as PEI poet laureate. The reading was sponsored by the The League of Canadian Poets, The Canada Council for the Arts, and The Montague Library Writers Guild. It was attended by over thirty audience memebers.

Dianne Hicks Morrow, Poet Laureate of PEI, reads in Montague, PEI

Dianne and Swarna

 

Yvette’s Poetry to Appear in New Anthology

Yvette Doucette is one of the poets included in a new anthology called The Great Black North: Contemporary African Canadian Poetry.  The launch is going to take place in Halifax next week, and Yvette will be there to participate in the reading. Details:

• When: Wednesday, February 13 at 6:30 pm
• Where: Black Cultural Centre, 1149 Main Street, Halifax
• What: The Great Black North is Edited by Valerie Mason-John and Kevan Anthony Cameron with an introduction by George Elliott Clarke and a Preface by Karina Vernon

For more about the anthology, check out their website by clicking here.

Check out Yvette’s cool page and gorgeous photo at the anthology’s website by clicking here.

Congratulations, Yvette! We are all looking forward to seeing your work in this new book.