In ZZOO, MA|DE (Mark Laliberte & Jade Wallace), the duo shares dazzling imagery and language reflecting the dualities found in life/afterlife, form/metamorphosis, humanity/divinity, and lovers. Discover how reviewer Jean Van Loon views the poetic integration of two voices here: buff.ly/BjxE9Fw

Ottawa poets AJ Dolman, Manahil Bandukwala and Emily Austin read from their shortlisted titles as part of the Archibald Lampman Poetry Award shortlist event, hosted by @arcpoetry.bsky.social / @manahil.bsky.social

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who came out to Perfect Books yesterday to hear from our three Lampman Award finalists: AJ Dolman, Manahil Bandukwala, and Emily Austin! Next month we are excited to announce the 2025 Archibald Lampman Award winner at Writers Fest. More details here: buff.ly/GICC7f4

“I immediately felt a surge of excitement pulse through my body and a grin spread across my face.” Reviewer Rosalie Morris expresses the impact of Erasing Frankenstein, edited by Elizabeth Effinger, as a complex experience breathing new life into the poetic genre. Full review here: buff.ly/c4hYJo1

Today's the day! We are looking forward to hosting our three Lampman Award finalists this evening at Perfect Books on Elgin Street. Come on out to hear Emily Austin, Manahil Bandukwala, and AJ Dolman read from their recent books of poetry. Readings start at 7pm, so don't miss it!

Ottawa friends! Would love it if you came out on Tuesday at 7 to Perfect Books for this fabulous event. Honoured to have Crazy/Mad shortlisted alongside these two wonderful books!

“Life is a novel that will end.” Trish Bowering highlights the urgent reality of the fleeting nature of time offered in Nina Berkhout’s The Great Wake. This collection reminds us to fully embrace the present, while acknowledging the inevitable ache to escape. Read full review here: buff.ly/pEb9t76

NEXT WEEK! Don't miss this gathering of the 2025 Lampman Award finalists at Perfect Books on Tuesday, September 23rd. Readings start at 7pm, and books will be available for purchase. If you're in Ottawa, come on out!

“A rare balance between incredibly strong poems and a unifying poetry-project conceit.” Reviewer Carl Watts focuses on how seamlessly Andy Weaver’s The Loom weaves a narrative centred on the key motif of parenthood. Find out what makes this the best book Carl has read in a few years: buff.ly/FGQgN1p

Cassidy McFadzean’s Crying Dress captures seasons as an artistic expression occupying our internal state. Reviewer Margaryta Golovchenko reflects on the seasons presented in individual sections as the “self that never stops growing, despite the weather.” Read the full review here: buff.ly/nZKdJUc

Join us at Perfect Books on Tuesday, Sept 23, for a special reading with the 2025 Lampman Award Finalists: Emily Austin, Manahil Bandukwala, and AJ Dolman. Don’t miss the chance to hear these incredible poets share their work before the Lampman Award winner is revealed later this fall!

The Diana Brebner Prize deadline has been extended by just three days to September 7. Calling Ottawa poets without a book! Send in your submissions now before it's too late! More details on the contest and how to submit are here: buff.ly/eJGzEgX

Thanks to the @Ontario Arts Council and @arcpoetry.bsky.social for support in completing my first poetry manuscript!

This is "Your House is For Sale," published in Issue 107 of @arcpoetry.bsky.social...

Deadline approaching! The Diana Brebner Prize is open to all Ottawa poets without a published book. This is your chance to submit your work by tomorrow, September 4! More details here: buff.ly/eJGzEgX

For emerging Ottawa poets, the deadline to submit to Arc's Diana Brebner Prize is NEXT WEEK! Entry fee: $35 for one or two poems; $5 per additional poem. Now available to read on our website is Dessa Bayrock's 2021 Brebner Prize winner, "Kaytlyn invites me to a party": buff.ly/0FztJHQ

📚 #NMAReadingList 🏆 Poetry — @arcpoetry.bsky.social @josephkidney.bsky.social ’s Gold-winning poem is a surreal, lyrical take on Alberta mythmaking. “All my sorrows cauterized into desire.” 🔗 zurl.co/5FIXF #NMAReadingList#NMA25 #CanadianPoetry #ArcPoetry

We are thrilled to announce the finalists for the 2025 Lampman Award, recognizing outstanding poetry from brilliant Ottawa-based poets: Emily Austin's “Gay Girl Prayers,” Manahil Bandukwala's “Heliotropia,” and AJ Dolman's “Crazy/Mad.” Stay tuned for details about the winner announcement this fall!

Announcing the 2025 Tamarack Prize & Critics’ Desk Award winners. The Tamarack Prize has been awarded to Nwuguru Chidiebere Sullivan for “The Smoke Signals a Migrant Returning.” The Critics' Desk Award goes to two brilliant writers: Natalie Hanna and Jane Shi.

We are excited to finally announce the winner of our 2025 Poem of the Year Contest: "What Haunts Me Most" by Dominique Bernier-Cormier! Take a moment to revisit "What Haunts Me Most" or pick up a copy of our Summer 2025 issue to always have this poem at your fingertips: buff.ly/lM5zRtW

For emerging Ottawa poets, the deadline to submit to Arc's Diana Brebner Prize is 3 WEEKS AWAY! Entry fe: $35 for one or two poems; $5 per additional poem. Looking for inspiration? Revisit Tazi Rodrigues's 2024 Brebner Prize winner, "community science at the pollinator safari": buff.ly/eXSZwEw

Are you a fan of Arc's Summer issue cover art? Will you also be in or around Sudbury on August 23rd? If the answer to both these questions is "yes" then we recommend checking out this conversation with Judy Martin at the Art Gallery of Sudbury:

For emerging Ottawa poets, there's just under a month left to submit to Arc's Diana Brebner Prize. Entry fee: $35 for one or two poems; $5 per additional poem. Looking for inspiration? Why not revisit Liam Burke's 2023 Brebner Prize winning poem, "in the country of our failures": buff.ly/6tDZabf

The heat of summer is here, and Arc 107 is full of hot new poems, including winner of our 2025 Poem of the Year contest! Poems in this issue will haunt you, unsettle your ideas of home and family, and ask questions about memory, history and our place in the cosmos. Order one today: buff.ly/PxduI1T

“After reading, I am left with a sense of grief, but I am not certain why.” Amanda Earl recognizes the unique expressions and imagery captured in Grace Kwan’s debut poetry book. It's like a memory set in a haunted world one finds impossible to escape from. Read the full review here: buff.ly/w4Ph1pf

ATTN: unpublished Ottawa poets are eligible to submit to the 2025 Diana Brebner Prize. The deadline is just over a month away, so get those submissions in today!

“Drifting beckons, asking the reader to find their heart within the pages.” PJ Thomas’s Drifting evokes Mary Oliver while carving out a voice distinctly her own. Reviewed by David Bateman, this collection explores the intimate relation between humanity and the wilderness of nature. buff.ly/K5Bqfa2

A fair warning from Dessa Bayrock before reading Rob Taylor's poem “Harrison River Valley, November”: "It is scientifically proven to make anyone who hails from British Columbia homesick, especially if they are as far from home as the salmon are." Check out Rob's visceral poem here: buff.ly/z84Gv1q

Today we are promoting the Summer Lovin' Contests run by our friends at canadianpoets.bsky.social. Among these opportunities is the Lesley Strutt Poetry Contest, named after a late member of our Ottawa poetry community who is still missed by many at Arc. More details are here: buff.ly/oc1mXqV

To all Ottawa-based poets without a full-length book, don't forget about submitting to the 2025 Diana Brebner Prize. Deadline: September 4

Arc Poetry gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the City of Ottawa's arts funding program. The production of our mag, honoraria to our contributors, and the continuation of our other programs would not be possible without the @cityofottawa. Thank you bringing our publication to life!

It's time to reveal the Honourable Mention in our 2025 Poem of the Year Contest. Cassandra Eliodor is taking home the $500 prize for her poem "Hermeneutics," which you can revisit on our website today along with an Editor's Choice blurb by nina jane drystek: buff.ly/pQwJxme

Take a moment to revisit Andrea Scott's "Saucer Magnolia" from our 2025 Poem of the Year Contest shortlist. "Life’s most intense passages hint at depth of meaning that invites but usually thwarts articulation" writes Arc's past president Kevin Matthews about this heartbreaking poem. buff.ly/iqU2ltZ

Ellie Sawatzky's poem "On Crete" describes a daughter-father trip that is overshadowed by grief and unease, but also small moments of connection. See why this is Char Harrison's Editor's Choice, and take a little trip to Greece with this selection from our Poem of the Year Contest: buff.ly/dXFIexO

“True stories are haunted. Dried.” Reviewer Emily-Jane Hills Orford explores Goodfellow’s folkloric collection inspired by Nova Scotian storytelling tradition. The poems capture the supernatural landscape between dreams and nightmares. Immerse yourself in this ghostly epic history: buff.ly/02RV3Uj

Take a moment to revisit Catherine St. Denis' glosa “The Essential Involvement of the Harpist” from our Poem of the Year Contest shortlist, which Arc's Associate Poetry Editor Lise Rochefort describes as a flawless mix of "subtle rhyme with artful philosophy." Read more here: buff.ly/8hjq3pN

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. The production of our magazine, the honoraria to our contributors, and the continuation of our other programs would not be possible without the Canada Council's support. Thank you for helping us #BringingTheArtsToLife through every page!

Over the next few weeks, we will be reposting the poems from our 2025 Poem of the Year Contest shortlist. To start, we're pleased to announce this year's Honourable Mention, Saemah Mushtaq's "eh·luh·jee for the ded," a poem that is "haunting, direct, with a sonic, rhythmic pulse": buff.ly/FeLqJdG

Calling all Ottawa poets who are unpublished in book form! The Diana Brebner Prize is open for submissions. Enter 1–2 poems by September 4 with only a $35 entry, which includes a 1-year subscription to Arc. Judge: Jessica Bebenek. Don’t miss it! buff.ly/msaCC7i

Happy Lottery day, indeed. Hard to resist posting this poem about the scrapbook Shirley Jackson used to store the angry letters she received after the story was published. Thanks to @arcpoetry.bsky.social where "Biography of a Story" first appeared.

We are thankful to receive operating funding from the OAC! Our magazine production, honoraria to contributors, and other programming would not be possible without support from @ontarioartscouncil and our local MPP @cmckenney14. Thank you for your vital role in bringing our pages to life!

We’re thrilled to celebrate DADDY by our brilliant contributing editor Jake Byrne, winner of the 2025 Trillium Book Award for Poetry! Congratulations Jake, we’re so proud! Get your own copy of this unforgettable book here buff.ly/9V1v4pd

“Metaphor and lichen are about two or more wholes sharing the same space.” J. Shea-Carter provides a guide to Calre Goulet’s Graphis scripta / writing lichen, finding similarities between poetic devices and lichen. Explore how nature and language connect to create meaning: buff.ly/sFSPLP8

You can find Arc Poetry at the Ottawa Small Press Book Fair tomorrow (Saturday, June 21, 2025) from noon until 5pm at Tom Brown Arena, 141 Bayview Station Road. We'll have copies of our Spring 2025 issue as well as a smattering of back issues, all at special fair prices. Come say hi!

Congratulations, @josephkidney.bsky.social! We're so thrilled to see our 2024 Poem of the Year Contest winner get recognition in the 48th National Magazine Awards!

The poems, it must be said, are often bitingly fun and take great pleasure in queering the somber rigidity of the original scripture. Emily Austin’s Gay Girl Prayers offer a counter-narrative to traditional biblical scriptures by subverting meaning. Who’s asking for forgiveness? buff.ly/8xunol4

"Trussler’s language lures me in one direction, until I realize I’m going the wrong way. But is there a wrong way to read poetry?" Reviewer Michelle Hardy takes on the winding lyrical labyrinth of Michael Trussler’s Realia: Poetry. Find out how to navigate a poetic hall of mirrors: buff.ly/3Evq2yy

We're looking for a New Poetry Editor! You'll be working closely with a passionate editorial team to curate and edit three issues per year. Applications will be accepted until August 1, 2025, or until the position is filled. Apply today to become Arc's next Poetry Editor! buff.ly/1E4uhN5

Thank you so much to Adebe DeRango-Adem and @arcpoetry.bsky.social for this review of "Inside Every Dream, a Raging Sea." 🖤 #poetry

"Even though love can send us spiraling into the heavens, it is also what ultimately keeps us down to earth." David Waltner-Toews’s The Gravity of Love shows that the power of the natural world has the same essence as a powerful romance, of what we call love. Read the review here: buff.ly/ymLIchT