Anna Yin was Mississauga’s inaugural Poet Laureate (2015–2017) and is the author of seven poetry collections, including Breaking Into Blossom (Frontenac Press, 2025). She has translated four poetry books, notably Mirrors and Windows (Guernica Editions, 2021). Her work has appeared in Queen’s Quarterly, ARC Poetry, The New York Times, China Daily, CBC Radio, and more. She has read on Parliament Hill, at international festivals, and at universities in China, Canada, and the U.S. Anna has received numerous honours, including the 2005 Ted Plantos Memorial Award, the MARTY Awards (2011, 2014, 2025), two U.S. scholarships, and grants from both the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts. Anna created and teaches Poetry Alive to bring poetry into schools, colleges, and communities. 

Based in Ottawa, Arc Poetry Magazine features poetry that is woozy, cunning, shearing and wildlike, alongside prose that offers new perspectives on the verse you thought you knew. For over 45 years, Arc has been a vital presence in Canada’s literary landscape, publishing poetry, interviews, reviews, and more, and sustaining lively conversations around contemporary poetry, while bringing emerging and established voices into dialogue. One of the most widely read literary magazines in the country, Arc has a following composed of writers, poetry aficionados, academics and a general cultural readership. Explore current and past issues, subscribe, or learn more at arcpoetry.ca.

This episode of The Poet Laureate Podcast is supported by the Belfast Poetry Festival — a long-standing celebration of poetry, art, and community in Belfast, Maine. For nearly two decades, the festival has brought poets, performers, and audiences together each autumn for a weekend of readings, exhibitions, and deeply rooted creative exchange, and this year celebrates its 21st annual festival. Entirely volunteer-run, the Festival is dedicated to fostering connection through the literary arts and uplifting diverse voices across Maine and beyond. Discover more about upcoming events and this year’s festival at belfastpoetry.com.

Plan to attend the 21st Annual Belfast Poetry Festival!

October 16-18, 2026

Bolen Books is Western Canada’s largest single-location independent bookstore, proudly located in Victoria, BC. Family-owned and run by three generations of Bolen women, the store first opened in 1975 and now spans nearly 20,000 square feet. Bolen Books offers a thoughtfully curated general interest selection with standout sections in fiction, mystery, kids’ books, cookbooks, science fiction, and more. Their shelves hold over 30,000 titles—ranging from the most celebrated authors in the world to self-published Canadian writers. The store also features a popular selection of puzzles, games, and gift items. Known for hosting nationally recognized author events, Bolen Books has welcomed literary icons such as Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie, Emma Donoghue, and David Suzuki. With over 40 knowledgeable staff and a commitment to excellence, Bolen Books continues to be voted Victoria’s #1 bookstore. Learn more at bolenbooks.com. 

Canadian Literature is Canada’s leading journal of literary scholarship, publishing peer-reviewed scholarly analyses of literatures and cultural objects produced in and about the lands referred to as Canada, original Canadian poetry, critical reviews of significant books in the field of Canadian literature, and commentaries on current, significant global topics. Founded in 1959 by George Woodcock and housed in UBC’s Faculty of Arts, the journal continues to enact a broad spirit of intellectual hospitality while questioning the critical, geographic, national, cultural, and sociological terms that tend to define the field. Welcoming innovative, interdisciplinary, and diverse voices from across cultural and academic backgrounds, Canadian Literature remains a vital platform for unravelling the legacies of colonialism, giving voice to emergent writers, and capturing the attention of global audiences. 

Carla Funk grew up in Vanderhoof, in the central interior of British Columbia, one of the province’s earliest Mennonite settlements. She is the author of five books of poetry, including The Sewing Room, Apologetic, and Gloryland, as well as the memoirs Every Little Scrap and Wonder: A Small-Town Childhood and Mennonite Valley Girl: A Wayward Coming of Age. Her work explores memory, faith, rural life, family, beauty, and the sacred within ordinary experience. Carla served as Victoria’s inaugural Poet Laureate from 2006–2008 and taught for many years in the Department of Writing at the University of Victoria. A recipient of the Malahat Review’s Constance Rooke Creative Nonfiction Prize, her poems and essays have appeared widely in anthologies, literary journals, public poetry projects including Poetry in Transit, and permanent public art installations such as the bronze poetry tree in downtown Victoria.

Drew Lavigne is the Poet Laureate of Moncton, New Brunswick. A member of the editorial board at The Fiddlehead and host of the Attic Owl reading series. Recent work has appeared in Vallum, Visual Arts News, Tourniquet Magazine, and with Éditions Rhizome. He translated the collection Poems Twofold with Georgette LeBlanc and is the author of Evening Dress with Anstruther Press. 

Fiona Tinwei Lam is the author of three books of poetry, Intimate Distances, Enter the Chrysanthemum, and Odes & Laments and a children’s book, The Rainbow Rocket. Shortlisted for the City of Vancouver Book Prize and other awards, her work has been included in over 50 anthologies, including Best Canadian Poetry (2010 and 2020) and Best Canadian Essays (2024).  She co-edited the non-fiction anthology, Double Lives: Writing and Motherhood  with Cathy Stonehouse and Shannon Cowan, and co-edited Love Me True: Writers Reflect on the Ins, Outs, Ups & Downs of Marriage with Jane Silcott.  She edited The Bright Well, a collection of contemporary Canadian poems about facing cancer.  Her award-winning poetry videos have been selected for screening internationally. She teaches at Simon Fraser University (Continuing Studies). She was Vancouver's Poet Laureate 2022-2024. 

Hollay Ghadery is an Iranian-Canadian multi-genre writer living in Ontario on Anishinaabe land. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph.

Fuse, her memoir of mixed-race identity and mental health, was released by Guernica Editions in 2021 and won the 2023 Canadian Bookclub Award for Nonfiction/Memoir. Her collection of poetry, Rebellion Box was released by Radiant Press in 2023, and her collection of short fiction, Widow Fantasies, was released with Gordon Hill Press in fall 2024.

Her debut novel, The Unraveling of Ou, is due out with Palimpsest Press in 2026, and her children’s book, Being with the Birds, with Guernica Editions in 2027.

Lorne Daniel has been deeply engaged in the literary community since the 1970s. He has four books of poetry, including What is Broken Binds Us (U of C Press, 2025).

Jeremy Loveday is an award-winning poet, spoken word artist, co-founder & Artistic Director emeritus of Victorious Voices. Maybe the Starling (Write Bloody North) is his first full-length collection. 

Zoe Dickinson is the Artistic Director emerita of Planet Earth Poetry. She has two award-winning chapbooks & her first full length collection is Staff Picks for Invertebrates (Guernica Editions in 2026). 

Tracy Wai de Boer (she/they) is an award-winning poet, interdisciplinary artist, &
Ph.D. candidate whose work was shortlisted for the bpNichol Award, Nostos (Palimsest Press, 2025) is her first full length collection. 

Joanna Streetly’s work is published in Best Canadian Poetry 2024, Best Canadian Essays 2017 and in anthologies, magazines and literary journals. Her latest book is All of Us Hidden (Caitlin Press 2025) is arriving this fall and available now for pre-order. Her memoir, Wild Fierce Life: Dangerous Moments on the Outer Coast, is a BC Bestseller (Caitlin Press). Other titles include Paddling Through Time (Raincoast Books), Silent Inlet (Oolichan) as well as This Dark (poetry, Postelsia). She has won and been short-listed for the FBCW Literary Writes Poetry Contest, and been listed for The Spectator’s Shiva Naipaul Award for Outstanding Travel Writing and the Canada Writes Creative Non-fiction Prize. Joanna grew up in Trinidad and moved to Canada when she was 18. She lives on the traditional territory of the Tla-o-qui-aht people (since 1990) and was the 2018-2020 Tofino Poet Laureate. 

John Barton (https://www.john-barton.ca) is a poet, essayist, editor, and writing mentor. His collections of poetry include Hymn, For the Boy with the Eyes of the Virgin: Selected Poems, Polari, Lost Family: A Memoir, which was nominated for the 2021 Derek Walcott Prize for Poetry, and Compulsory Figures, which will be published in September 2025. His other books include We Are Not Avatar: Essays, Memoirs, Manifestos, Seminal: The Anthology of Canada’s Gay-Male Poets, The Essential Douglas LePan, winner of an eLit Award in 2020, and Best Canadian Poetry 2023. The recipient of three Archibald Lampman Awards, a CBC Literary Award, and a National Magazine Award, he is a life member of the League of Canadian Poets. He lives in Victoria and was the city’s first queer poet laureate.

Lorri Neilsen Glenn is the author and contributing editor of fifteen titles of poetry, creative nonfiction and scholarly work, including her latest work, The Old Moon in Her Arms: Women I Have Known and Been (Nimbus). Halifax’s first Métis Poet Laureate, she was a recipient of Halifax's Women of Excellence award, has had appointments as Writer in Residence across Canada and served as President of the Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia. Lorri has mentored writers across Canada and in Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Greece, and Chile. She divides her time between Halifax and Rose Bay, Nova Scotia. 

Mermaid Tales Bookshop is a beloved independent bookstore in Tofino, British Columbia, known for its warm atmosphere and carefully selected collection. With fiction, nonfiction, local-interest titles, and children’s books chosen for their capacity to meet a reader where they are—and carry them further—Mermaid Tales saves you the time of wading through the mountains of books out there. The store’s booksellers are devoted to helping customers find the stories that spark questions, shift outlooks, or arrive just when they’re needed. With online ordering and shipping available across Canada, their collection reaches far beyond the coast. Visit mermaidbooks.ca to explore. 

A landmark in Victoria's Old Town, Munro's Books has been in business since 1963. Visit our beautiful heritage building and browse an extensive selection of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, children's books, magazines and more. Munro’s has been a sanctuary for readers and writers alike for over 60 years, and their poetry section is unrivaled.

rob mclennan lives in Ottawa, where he is home full-time with the two wee girls he shares with Christine McNair. The author of some fifty trade books of poetry, fiction and non-fiction, his most recent titles include On Beauty: stories (U of A Press, 2024), the poetry collections snow day (Spuyten Duyvil, 2025), the book of sentences (U of C Press, 2025) and edgeless (Caitlin Press, 2026), and the anthology groundworks: the best of the third decade of above/ground press 2013-2023 (Invisible Publishing, 2023). He runs above/ground press (b. 1993), the ottawa small press book fair (b. 1994), Touch the Donkey [a small poetry journal] (b. 2014) and periodicities: a journal of poetry and poetics (b. 2020), all of which he founded. The current Artistic Director of VERSeFest: Ottawa’s International Poetry Festival, he spent the 2007-8 academic year as writer-in-residence at the University of Alberta. 

Russell Books is a third-generation, family-owned bookstore located in the heart of downtown Victoria, British Columbia. Over the last sixty years, Russell Books has grown from a small used bookstore into one of Canada’s largest independent bookstores, offering an extensive selection of new, used, and rare books across every genre. With multiple floors of thoughtfully curated titles, the store serves as a vibrant hub for readers, writers, and the wider community. Russell Books is deeply committed to fostering local culture, supporting authors and events, and ensuring that books remain accessible and central to civic life. Whether browsing for a beloved classic, discovering a new voice, or attending a literary event, visitors experience the enduring spirit of independent bookselling that has defined Russell Books for over six decades. Learn more at russellbooks.com.

Sage Hill Writing: the place to work on your writing project. Established in Saskatchewan in 1989, Sage Hill Writing is one of Canada’s leading providers of learning opportunities for professional and emerging creative writers. Sage Hill is a forum for writers to engage with the literary community, enhance their skills, and develop their craft. Writers from across Canada come to Sage Hill’s retreats and courses to create and edit new work, supported by accomplished faculty in immersive creative environments. Bring your new or ongoing writing project to Sage Hill’s small-group facilitated retreats and take the next step with your writing among a vibrant community of writers. Whether you are an established or emerging writer, Sage Hill has a program to support you. At Sage Hill, your writing matters. Learn more at sagehillwriting.ca.

Steven Ross Smith enjoys muddling with words, ideas, and books in Victoria, BC. He likes to bend, confuse, and disintegrate that which is most popularly straightened, clarified and constructed in general poetic practice – language, narrativity and meaning. A sound and performance poet, writer of fiction and poetry, he endeavours to work against convention, especially his own. His decades-long westward journey through Canada’s natural, made, and artistic landscapes has stirred continual amazement and myriad literary influences. His writing often juxtaposes disparate threads, as in his seven-book poetic series fluttertongue, and in his 2022 book Glimmer: Short Fictions. The Green Rose, a collaboration with Phil Hall has appeared in two chapbook variations, with above/ground press in 2024, and in 2025 with Lake’s End Press. Smith was Banff Poet Laureate, 2018-21. His newest project – as SloLo Smithy is “Dignity”. Available on Bandcamp: https://slolosmithy.bandcamp.com/track/dignity

The Fiddlehead is Canada’s oldest continuously published literary magazine, first issued in 1945 at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. Over 80 years later, this Atlantic Canadian institution—now published quarterly—has earned an international reputation for exceptional contemporary literary writing. TheFiddlehead’s mandate is to enrich and support literary communities in Atlantic Canada and beyond by publishing engaging works of literature in a multiplicity of styles; it aims to publish new and established writers side-by-side, foregrounding diverse and underrepresented voices. The Fiddlehead acknowledges that the land on which it is housed is the traditional unceded territory of Wəlastəkewiyik.

The Malahat Review was established in 1967 by University of Victoria English professors Robin Skelton and John Peter. Thereafter, editors have included Constance Rooke, Derk Wynand, Marlene Cookshaw, and John Barton. Micaela Maftei served as interim editor from January to July 2018. Iain Higgins is the current editor (as of July 2018).

The Malahat Review is dedicated to excellence in writing. Its aim is to discover the most promising of the new writers and publish their work alongside the best established writers, to present work accurately and attractively to readers, and to increase awareness of Canadian writing in general through perceptive critical comment. 

This episode of Poet Laureate Podcast is supported by The Tyee, British Columbia’s award‑winning non-profit, reader‑supported news magazine. Since its founding in 2003, The Tyee has offered fact‑driven journalism and cultural reporting with editorial independence, free to all and funded by readers and public‑interest supporters. With a commitment to justice, environmental awareness, and amplifying marginalized B.C. voices, The Tyee consistently holds power accountable and publishes original news and analysis. Learn more at thetyee.ca.

Winner of the 2025 Firebird Award for Mountain Spells (Rootstock Publishing 2024), Poet Laureate emeritus of Belfast, Maine, and 2024 Nominee for Poet Laureate of Vermont, poet, bass clarinetist, and composer Toussaint St. Negritude conjures whole liberations in full tempo. Originally from San Francisco, Toussaint has lived and broadly thrived across the African Diaspora, from the sacred mountains of Haiti to the Coltrane District of North Philadelphia. He, along with bassist Gahlord Dewald, is the leader of the band Jaguar Stereo!, a free-form ensemble of his own poetry and improvisational jazz, and his works have been widely published and recorded for over 40 years. He is also an avid educator, annually teaching poetry for the Governor's Institute of the Arts, among other institutions. On an alpine sanctuary facing east, Toussaint St. Negritude continues to thrive in the farthest elevations of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.

The University of Victoria’s Department of Writing, is one of Canada’s leading programs dedicated to the study and practice of writing. UVIC Writing offers BA, BFA and MFA programs where students learn to write across multiple genres, including poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, screenwriting, playwriting, journalism, and for digital mediums. Since 1963, UVIC Writing has nurtured generations of writers and storytellers through teaching, research, and mentorship, and is committed to launching new voices and stories onto the modern literary landscape. Learn more at uvic.ca/writing. 

Yvonne Blomer’s sixth book of poems Death of Persephone: A Murder, is a mystery based on the Persephone myth, the noir mystery genre and the ongoing violence to girls and women. It is a murder mystery in poetry. An excerpt of Death of Persephone won the Gwendolyn MacEwen poetry prize in 2021 with Exile Editions. Yvonne is the past Poet Laureate of Victoria, B.C. and Arc Magazine’s poet-in-residence for 2022-23. She is an award-winning poet and nonfiction writer who has edited five anthologies, most recently: Hologram: Homage to PK Page. Yvonne holds an MA with Distinction from the University of East Anglia lives on the territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Lekwungen) speaking people. She creates and teaches immersive and inspiring poetry classes on zoom to poets across North America.