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Torontoist Reads: A Toronto Literary Contest
Reading Toronto states “the city is a book with 100,000 million poems.” Torontoist is aware of many poems that have been written by Toronto poets, but thinks there is ample room in the GTA for a few more (maybe a million-or-two would improve the present un-poetic monstrosity that is Dundas Square). We’re also curious to know where new poems are being written: During TTC commutes? On the picturesque grounds of Casa Loma? Under the Gardiner?
So, after much thought, we decided to create (and map out) a poetry contest with some great prizes (not to mention fame!) for the winner.
The Deets: Please send previously unpublished poems about Toronto, poems set in Toronto, and/or poems about Torontonians to [email protected]. If the connection to our city in your poem isn’t apparent, please divulge the pertinent Toronto details. We also want to know where your poem was written, so please indicate its co-ordinates (closest intersection is fine). One poem per person, under 100 lines, and please copy it to the body of your email or a Word .doc (.jpg or .pdf for visual poetry is great). The judging process will be blind, so please don’t put your name on attachments. No entry fee, of course.
Deadline: March 15, 2007.
Winners Announced: April 10, 2007 (National Poetry Month).
Judges: Carly Beath, Stephen Cain, Jay MillAr.
The best poem awards its author eternal bragging rights, gets published by Torontoist, and wins a Toronto literary prize pack full of wordy booty:
Torontology by Stephen Cain (ECW Press), The Shooter’s Bible by Karen Solie (Junction Books), The State of The Arts: Living With Culture in Toronto (Coach House Books), Shift & Switch: New Canadian Poetry (The Mercury Press), a framed I LOVE YOU TORONTO photographic print by Sharon Harris, and more!
Five honourable mentions will also be posted on Torontoist.
All entries will be mapped and presented in lovingly rendered cartography. Who doesn’t love a good map?