Hurry up and get your submissions into our Cogswell Poetry Book Award, for books published in 2025 in Canada by Canadian poets.

This Thursday!

Sorry to hear Punch McLean died in a crash yesterday. He is a Legend is Junior Hockey and part of the hallowed history of Queens Park Arena. www.freshetnews.ca/new-westmins...

Special thanks to all who came out to support this chapbook—guest readers Janet, Winston, Dale and Aidan, all the people who bought copies & everyone else who filled the room with warmth & love for poetry.

So much beautiful light in the room last night as Jessica Lee McMillan’s ‘shine like a dime in the dirt under the moon’ launched into the world.

May 5th from 4-6pm Voices & Visions – Sensory Writing Workshop + Painting Exhibit at New Westminster Public Library with Cynthia Sharpe. Free to all. We are proud to partner with E. Fry Society! Scan QR code for more info or register here: host.nxt.blackbaud.com/registration...

Save the date: Poetry and Art Salon with Janet Kvammen MAY 31, 2026 | 2:00-4:00 pm ANVIL CENTRE | Room 417 Drop-in. No registration required. Feature Poet Katie Stobbart Feature Artist Damarys Sepulveda

Spread the word about our workshop for newcomer women and female identifying folx. May 28th @wildfiresbookshop.bsky.social.

Submissions for the 13th Annual Fred Cogswell Award For Excellence in Poetry are now OPEN! More information at rclas.com/2026-fred-co... and below.

Yesterday. An afternoon of love, tears and stories. We will miss you. Rest in power.

Hell yes. Some of the city's best short story writers are getting together for an event, May 19th at the VPL Central Branch. RSVP here: vpl.bibliocommons.com/events/69b1d...

Famous Last Words comes to New Westminster this Wednesday thanks to @rclas.bsky.social collaborators: Tri Cities Poetry, @eventmags.bsky.social, @artsnewwest.bsky.social, & @deathridesaunicorn.bsky.social

This Friday, April 24th at Anvil Centre Jessica Lee McMillan's @jessicaleemcmillan.com chapbook launch with very special guests @winstonle.bsky.social @daletracy.bsky.social @allegorically.bsky.social @janetkvammen.bsky.social

Check out 'New Westminster’s poet laureate urges everyone to celebrate National Poetry Month in April - Freshet News': www.freshetnews.ca/new-westmins...

See you tomorrow!

Hope to see you this coming Sat April 11 at the New West Public Library starting at 2PM. Feat poets Barb Kmiec and Marlo Browne. OPEN MIC in the 2nd half 😎 #npm26 #nationalpoetrymonth

HAPPY NATIONAL POETRY MONTH!!! #npm26 #NationalPoetryMonth

Submissions open tomorrow!

EXTENDED to April 31st, the 2026 MURIEL’S JOURNEY POETRY PRIZE for Canadian poets. Please check submission guidelines and criteria here. Readers are especially looking for more submissions from the DTES. www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...

Join Isabella Mori @moritherapy.bsky.social for "A Playshop on Prose Poetry" (a Sapp Zine & RCLAS collaboration) —ONLINE Wednesday, April 8th from 6-9pm —Register: [email protected]. (address corrected from last post)

Kevin Spenst will be our 13th Annual Fred Cogswell Award judge! Check www.rclas.com for details. New submission window opening April 1st!

We are beyond thrilled to have Kevin Spenst @kevinspenst.bsky.social as the judge for the 13th Fred Cogswell Award For Excellence! Note that the dates have changed and submissions open April 1st. Details: www.rclas.com

We have a lot of events lined up this spring! —SUN April 19, 2026 2-4pm @ Anvil Centre —Poetry & Art Salon for National Poetry Month —FiveX5 poetry readings with Kevin Spenst, Janet Kvammen, Alan Hill, Jessica Lee McMillan, Rob Taylor Save the date & more to follow.

We are so excited to feature Marlo Browne for our National Poetry Month celebration at New Westminster Public Library on April 11th. Read his bio here: www.vancouverpoetryhouse.com/about-verses...

Join Isabella Mori @moritherapy.bsky.social for "A Playshop on Prose Poetry" (a Sapp Zine & RCLAS collaboration) —ONLINE Wednesday, April 8th from 6-9pm —Register: [email protected]

On April 11th from 2-4 pm celebrate National Poetry Month with local poets: • Marlo Browne • Barbara Kmiec • Janet Kvammen, New Westminster's Poet Laureate Plus, an Open Mic hosted by Alan Hill (sign up at the event). REGISTER: www.nwpl.ca/events

We have lots of events coming up including a NPM celebration featuring Poet Laureate @janetkvammen.bsky.social with Marlo Browne and Barbara Kmiec on Saturday April 11, 2pm at NWPL. #NPM2026 #NationalPoetryMonth #openmic www.nwpl.ca/events/a-cel...

This Sunday, followed by an open mic!

A wonderful workshop "to construe a frankenlang" with @winstonle.bsky.social last night. We had inspiring insights on disrupting the corpus of colonial language and liberating its structures with neologisms. Thank you to Winston and all who attended.

Pinhole Poetry’s Spring 2026 chapbooks are now available for preorder individually or as a bundle @pinholepoetry.bsky.social Link: pinholepoetry.ca/shoppoetry/

Look at this line-up! 🤩 More poems than we’ve ever shared before! So much to celebrate. Look for issue 5.1 on April 3 at pinholepoetry.ca

Free RCLAS Writing Workshop "to construe a frankenlang" with Winston Lê. @winstonle.bsky.social Monday MARCH 9, 2026 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm ANVIL CENTRE | STUDIO 417, 777 Columbia Street, New Westminster This workshop is Free BUT registration is required. Email: [email protected]

Save the date for Royal City Literary Arts Society's AGM. SUNDAY MARCH 15, 2026 at 1pm RSVP [email protected] Location: New West Public Library, 716 6th Avenue, New Westminster, BC

This Monday!

One of my Pattullo poems read on our bridge walk yesterday. “Bridging the Gap”. Knowing, of course, that the Lady Pattullo’s day would eventually come, it was a difficult farewell.Yesterday was a day for letting go and letting flow. #nwpoetlaureate #poetry #newwest #pattullobridge

Poetry & Art Salon February 22 @ 2:00pm Anvil Centre, Room 417 Feat. Janet Kvammen, New Westminster Poet Laureate @janetkvammen.bsky.social with Poet Jaimie McEvoy & Artist Therese Mah Free event & no registration required! In partnership with @rclas.bsky.social

Join us February 19th from 7-9 pm for Word Play with Alan Hill at təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre! Free! Just bring a pen, paper and your readiness for an engaging prompt.

Poetry and Art Salon Jan 25 @ 2:00 - 4:00 pm Anvil Centre, Room 417 Join Janet Kvammen, Poet Laureate of New Westminster, for a free afternoon of poetry readings, art “Show & Tell” chats & more! Guests: Poet Jónína Kirton Artist Nancy Whiteside Theme: Winter Renewal, Reflection & the Natural World

🗞️ TOMORROW! Here are some of the locations where you can get the newspaper on Jan. 22, 2026: Port Moody Rec Save On Foods Coquitlam Library Hyde Creek Rec Centre Terry Fox Library Burnaby rec centres Queensborough Community Centre təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic Centre Moody Park Arena

Compact Disc newpoetry.ca/2026/01/19/c...

Vancouver! Get your butts over to UBC to take in Kayla Czaga reading her brilliant new book Midway (@houseofanansi.bsky.social) *in its entirety*! Whole Cloth Reading Series, January 28th, 5 PM, Green College.

Congratulations to Garry Gottfriedson for winning the @rclas.bsky.social 12th Annual Fred Cogswell Award for Excellence in Poetry! As judge Cecily Nicholson noted, 'The Flesh of Ice...is grounded in ongoing contributions to Secwépemc language, sovereignty, and community.'

Garry Gottfriedson is the winner of the 2025 Fred Cogswell Award. Congratulations to Garry, as well as Kayla Czaga (2nd place) and Barbara Tran (3rd Place)! Deep gratitude to all who entered and especially our esteemed judge Cecily Nicholson. Details: rclas.com/2025-fred-co...

Excited to be reading again with poet laureates Kyeren Regehr @byallmeanswrite.bsky.social and Elee Kraljii Gardiner @eleekg.bsky.social Wed Jan 21 at the Britannia Library in Vancouver! Starts at 6pm, but arrive for a good seat. There will be a few spots on Open Mic Thanks to Twisted Poets!

Last few days to join this online poetry class I teach, so please consider and/or share with peers that might be interested! The class needs at least one more student to run 🤞

JANUARY 25, 2-4pm, ANVIL CENTRE | STUDIO 417 Poetry & Art Salon with Janet Kvammen, Poet Jónína Kirton & Artist Nancy Whiteside. Poetry readings, art “Show & Tell” chats. Come listen, share & connect. Free, drop-in. @rclas.bsky.social @newwestminster.bsky.social

Happy new year, everyone! Reminder that our first Dead Poets reading of the year is this Sunday, Jan. 11th. Featuring these amazing poets: Joseph Dandurand, Heidi Greco, Elee Kraljii Gardiner and Christopher Levenson. Hope to see you there! 3 p.m., Outsiders and Others gallery.

Still trying to figure out Substack but I hope to post more in 2026. For now, a little year in review and a poem. open.substack.com/pub/planetja...