very nice! my first ever shortlist for the Ottawa Book Awards, for On Beauty: stories (University of Alberta Press); ; congrats to Manahil, Nina, Paul and Chuqiao for also shortlisting! / @ualbertapress.bsky.social @manahil.bsky.social ; ottawa.ca/en/city-hall...

coming up November 22nd: the 31st anniversary edition of the ottawa small press book fair! / @ottawasmallpress.bsky.social @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social @razovsky.bsky.social @amandaearl.bsky.social ; smallpressbookfair.blogspot.com/2025/08/the-...

Let’s talk about the pleasures of reading books we don’t understand! Featuring Dennis Cooley's enjoyably nonsensical poetry collection, abecedarium. reviewsofbooksigotforfreeorcheap.substack.com/p/dennis-coo... @ualbertapress.bsky.social #booksky

The Factory Reading Series, August 21, 2025: Jen Currin, Shery Alexander Heinis, Jamaal Amir Akbari/JAAWORD + Pearl Pirie, / @anvilpress.bsky.social @houseofanansi.bsky.social @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social ; abovegroundpress.blogspot.com/2025/08/the-...

Six Questions interview #226 : Kevin Shaw / @gooselane.bsky.social @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social ; chaudierebooks.blogspot.com/2025/08/six-...

hey everyone! ive had a couple of dozen folk telling me they're going to this event on thursday, but only 5 tickets have sold, which is prompting the venue to talk about cancelling; if you are planning to go, could you please pre-purchase your ticket? thanks! robmclennan.blogspot.com/2025/07/the-...

above/ground press author spotlight #6 : Monty Reid , reading as part of the above/ground press 32nd anniversary event on August 7 in Ottawa, / @mreid.bsky.social @invisibooks.bsky.social ; abovegroundpress.substack.com/p/abovegroun...

VERSeOttawa seeks Festival Manager. Deadline to apply: July 26, 2025 www.verseottawa.ca/static/pdf/F...

sign up for our VERSeFest/VERSe Ottawa email list! / @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social ; robmclennan.blogspot.com/2025/07/sign...

completed another editing/poetry manuscript evaluation today, which suggests i might be open to a further one; query, if such intrigues, robmclennanauthor.blogspot.com/2017/04/work...

We're making a @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social mailing list! If YOU want to get the word about VERSeOttawa shows, workshops, and events plus poetry news, writing prompts, and other goodies, you can sign up by using the qr code in the image OR by following this link: verse-ottawa.kit.com/4aab0fd909

Canadian Poets Series #6 : Maggie Burton / @breakwaterbooks.bsky.social ; peripetyandortronies.blogspot.com/2025/06/cana...

Want all the news about VERSeFest @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social and other VERSE Ottawa goings-on (including what Ottawa's Poets Laureate are up to)? Do sign up for the newsletter - see the link below and the fancy QR code.

It's true! We're making a mailing list! If YOU want to get the word about VERSeOttawa shows, workshops, and events plus poetry news, writing prompts, and other goodies, you can sign up by using the qr code in the image OR by following this link: verse-ottawa.kit.com/4aab0fd909

new from above/ground press: Verse on the Banks / Poèmes sur le rivage, eds./dir. Véronique Sylvain and/de David O’Meara produced for the Verse on the Banks / Poèmes sur le rivage event, Wednesday June 18 2025 in Ottawa; tickets still available! abovegroundpress.blogspot.com/2025/06/new-...

Listen to Annea Lockwood’s work for this discussion

Join the Ottawa River Keepers for an evening exploring how the river can influence art through poetry! Poets Laureate David O’Meara + Véronique Sylvain w other Ottawa poets, sharing river-themed poetry in both official languages. Tickets via the QR code or this link: www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticket...

And finally, a reading by Canada’s current Parliamentary Poet Laureate, Chimwemwe Undi! // @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social

And now, Ottawa’s French-language Poet Laureate, Véronique Sylvain is reading poems! // @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social

Hey! Ottawa’s English-language Poet Laureate David O’Meara is reading poems! // @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social @nightwoodeditions.bsky.social

TONIGHT, 6PM at the Sunnyside Library, 1049 Bank Street! Parliamentary Poet Laureate Chimwemwe Undi reads with Ottawa Poets Laureate David O'Meara + Véronique Sylvain! you should come!

For pride month let us be inspired by the quotes of queer poets, activists and incredible humans. GSAFE we be sharing inspirational quotes all month. #pride #marshapjohnson #inspirationalquotes #incrediblehumans #gsafe #pridemonthquotes

On the 10th day of Pride, I would like to honour Wilfred Owen, a gay man and one of the leading poets of World War I. "Anthem for Doomed Youth", a poem to the people lost in war, is especially moving. Owen was killed in action on 4 November 1918; a week before the armistice

TONIGHT, 6PM at the Sunnyside Library, 1049 Bank Street! Parliamentary Poet Laureate Chimwemwe Undi reads with Ottawa Poets Laureate David O'Meara + Véronique Sylvain! you should come! // @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social ;

TONIGHT, 6PM at the Sunnyside Library, 1049 Bank Street! Parliamentary Poet Laureate Chimwemwe Undi reads with Ottawa Poets Laureate David O'Meara + Véronique Sylvain! you should come!

Tuesday, June 10 at 6:00pm! Join Canada's Parliamentary Poet Laureate, Chimwemwe Undi, in her 1st Ottawa reading since her appointment. She'll share the stage w/ Ottawa Poets Laureate David O'Meara + Véronique Sylvain. @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social Sunnyside Branch, OPL (1049 Bank St) : Free

This Tuesday, June 10 at 6:00pm! Join Canada's Parliamentary Poet Laureate, Chimwemwe Undi, in her first Ottawa reading since her appointment. She'll share the stage with Ottawa Poets Laureate David O'Meara and Véronique Sylvain. Sunnyside Branch, OPL (1049 Bank St) Free Admission

the ottawa small press book fair, spring 2025 edition: June 21, 2025 / @ottawasmallpress.bsky.social ; robmclennan.blogspot.com/2025/05/the-...

The Factory Reading Series pre-small press book fair reading, June 20: Pirie, MA|DE, Bandukwala, Moran + Smith, robmclennan.blogspot.com/2025/06/the-...

a reminder that Christine McNair + Amanda Earl + I are reading today on Elgin Street, #Ottawa; the Lieutenant's Pump, 2pm. I'm thinking of reading some new poems + an unpublished short story, / @ualbertapress.bsky.social @ucalgarypress.bsky.social @arpbooks.bsky.social @bookhugpress.bsky.social ;

tomorrow night! an above/ground press zoom reading w Sandra Doller, Meredith Quartermain, Orchid Tierney, Tom Jenks, Brook Houglum + me too! / @orchidtierney.bsky.social @tomjenksuk.bsky.social ; abovegroundpress.blogspot.com/2025/05/abov...

so many parts of her work are shared here and I want to bring attention to one I knew about but never quite find time for, the project by @nicksturm.bsky.social of getting all Notley's magazine projects publicly available in pdfs:

newly posted: rob mclennan : 2025 Trillium Book Award shortlist interviews: Jake Byrne / @wolsakandwynn.bsky.social ; periodicityjournal.blogspot.com/2025/05/rob-...

completed an editing/poetry manuscript evaluation today, which suggests i might be open to a further one; query, if such intrigues, robmclennanauthor.blogspot.com/2017/04/work...

Jamie Liew, Monia Mazigh, Ellen Chang-Richardson, Narratives of Belonging: Stories of Identity, Community and Kinship Time and Place: May 22 at 7:00 pm. Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Web: tinyurl.com/narrativesmay22 Registration recommended

newly posted: Amanda Earl : on Judith Copithorne / @amandaearl.bsky.social @talonbooks.bsky.social ; periodicityjournal.blogspot.com/2025/05/aman...

newly posted: Eric Schmaltz: on Judith Copithorne (1939-2025) / @talonbooks.bsky.social ; periodicityjournal.blogspot.com/2025/05/eric...

Judith Copithorne reads from Another Order. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePgq... #Canada #Vancouver #poetry #performance

Such a loss: Rest In Peace JUDITH COPITHORNE (1939-2025); exceptional concrete poet always creating inspirational work. Explore her ANOTHER ORDER (talonbooks.com/books/anothe...) and download historical examples from Ubuweb (www.ubu.com/vp/Copithorn...).

Rest in Peace Judith Copithorne, one of the greats, a true trailblazer, and always so generous and whip sharp. This is my favourite photo of her, taken by Cheryl Soukes.

@amandaearl.bsky.social shares memories of Judith Copithorne on @periodicities.bsky.social: periodicityjournal.blogspot.com/2025/05/aman...

The Irish Times: Acclaimed poet Paul Durcan dies aged 80 www.irishtimes.com/culture/book...

what a good day to subscribe to above/ground press, said to be one of the best poetry chapbook deals in human history : with recent/forthcoming titles by Terri Witek, Micah Ballard, Jason Christie, Monty Reid, R. Kolewe, Meredith Quartermain, etc. abovegroundpress.blogspot.com/2024/10/abov...

Revitalized Kingston WritersFest to return quillandquire.com/omni/a-revit...

the ottawa small press book fair, spring 2025 edition: June 21, 2025 / @ottawasmallpress.bsky.social ; robmclennan.blogspot.com/2025/05/the-...

The League of Canadian Poets’ award winners have been announced! #CanLit #CanPo @canadianpoets.bsky.social poets.ca/winners2025/

fwd: "zinester in residence" project, ARTicipate smallpressalmanac.blogspot.com/2025/05/fwd-...

don't forget: if you are in or near Ottawa, the ottawa small press book fair : spring 2025 edition, occurs in June at Tom Brown Arena (twice a year since 1994 : with a pre-fair reading the night before at Anina's Cafe! smallpressbookfair.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-...

rob mclennan and Andy Weaver connect with a 2025 VERSeFest interview at periodicities. periodicityjournal.blogspot.com/2025/03/rob-...

hey! myself, Christine McNair @christinemcnair.bsky.social + Amanda Earl @amandaearl.bsky.social read in Ottawa June 1! I'm thinking of reading some new poems + an unpublished short story, @ualbertapress.bsky.social @ucalgarypress.bsky.social @arpbooks.bsky.social ; www.facebook.com/events/16624...