“A poet is, before anything else, a person who is passionately in love with language.”– W.H. Auden
This quote by Auden, a British-American poet noted for his poems Funeral Blues and The Age of Anxiety among others, provides a clue into the minds of those who write poetry.
Good poetry takes the rigid structure and rules of language and transforms words into a personal and often communal experience of nuance, absurdity, and emotion.
In recognition of the influence of poetry in our lives, we here at Airdrie Public Library (APL) are excited to announce our fifth annual poetry contest, Poetry in Motion.
Held in partnership with the City of Airdrie Community Development team, the contest is running from June 1 to 30.
There are two categories: Open for poets 18 and older, or Youth for scribes 13 to 17. The winner in each category will receive a gift (to be announced).
And here’s the “in Motion” part: selected poems will be displayed on Airdrie Transit's ICE buses in the Fall, in honour of Alberta Culture Days.
This year’s judge is award-winning Calgary poet Laurie Anne Fuhr, who is the author of Night Flying (Frontenac House 2018) and has been shortlisted for the Robert Kroetsch Award for Innovative Poetry.
Her poems also appear in Uncommon Grounds and in Wondershift, Alexandra Writers Centre Society' 40th anniversary anthology.
She was the event manager for this year’s People’s Poetry Festival and was the poetry judge for the League of Canadian Poets, a recitation judge for Poetry In Voice, and a judge for the Can You Hear Me Now? slam.
Registration opens online June 1 on the APL website and closes June 30.
Local poets can attach up to three poems as a PDF, each no longer than 11 lines (including the title).
Contestants must hold a valid Airdrie Public Library card.
Poems will be blind judged, and winners will be announced the first week of September 2023.
Find the complete contest rules at airdriepubliclibrary.ca.
