Calling all poets.

The Nanaimo Daily News is running a monthly column featuring a poem of the month to promote local poets and to encourage people to write poetry themed on Nanaimo.


A pair of anonymous poet judges will look through the submissions and choose one poem each month and it will be printed in the Daily News. City of Nanaimo inaugural poet laureate Naomi Beth Wakan will comment on the chosen poem so you can see why we liked it, and also to encourage you to write poetry.


The rules are simple:
1. You should be a resident of the Greater Nanaimo area;
2. The poem should be solely written by you (If your poem is selected you will be asked to sign a declaration that the poem is your work alone and that you have the rights to it. Submissions from people under 18 will require a parent’s signature)
3. The poem must be about Nanaimo (places and events – its past, present, future, places you like visiting, the cultural aspects, sports… whatever inspires you) and should be no more than 30 lines (200 words)
4. The poems can be touching, funny, insightful, bitingly witty or angry, but will not be considered if they contain obscenities or promote hatred or prejudice
5. E-mail two copies of your poem as a pdf attachment (in Times New Roman, 12 point). One copy should have your name, address, e-mail, and phone # written above the poem; the other should contain only the poem
6. Send them to callingallpoets@nanaimo.ca with the words “poetry submission” in the subject line
7. There is no deadline, so just keep those Nanaimo poems coming in whenever creativity strikes.

We thank all poets in advance for their submissions, but only those poets whose poems have been selected will be contacted. Keep a copy of your submission as it will not be returned to you. All poems submitted will be kept for consideration for inclusion in a possible anthology to be printed next year.



So calling all poets – Let’s celebrate poetry. Let’s hear your voices. Get creative about Nanaimo and send us your results.