Arc Poetry Magazine

09/01/2026

Susan Gillis describes “A RIGHT HOOK, IN FIVE PARTS” by Fareh Malik as "five angles on a heated exchange: insult, response." Read more about why this poem earned a spot on the Poem of the Year Contest shortlist and why it was Susan's Editor's Choice: https://arcpoetry.ca/editorials/a-right-hook-in-five-parts-fareh-malik/

08/28/2026

Arc Poetry's Reviews Editor, Margaryta Golovchenko, selected Catriona Wright's poem as her Editor's Choice pick from the Poem of the Year Contest shortlist. "From the first enjambment, “The Rising Cost of Loving” combines criticism with humour, laying out a social map of Toronto in all its authentic and eye-rolling glory." Re-experience the romance of this poem today: https://buff.ly/Q5apHFl

08/25/2026

"Through vivid imagery and a quietly assured narrative voice, Patricia Caspers’ “Daughter of a Dead Addict Learns to Brine Olives” explores grief, inheritance, and survival with restraint and care," writes President of the Arc Poetry Society Kayla Calder. Read more about why this poem earned a spot on the Poem of the Year Contest shortlist and why it was Kayla's Editor's Choice: https://arcpoetry.ca/editorials/daughter-of-a-dead-addict-learns-to-brine-olives-patricia-caspers/

08/25/2026

There is just 1 WEEK LEFT to submit your poems to the Diana Brebner Prize! Ottawa poets without a full-length book, don't miss this opportunity to have Tawahum Bige read your work!

Attention Ottawa writers who are unpublished in book form! Submissions for the 2026 Diana Brebner Prize officially open August 1! This year's judge is Tawahum Bige, who will select the winning poem from eligible submissions received before the deadline. With a $35 entry fee, you can submit one or two poems and receive a 1-year subscription to Arc Poetry Magazine. Don't miss this opportunity to share your work! Details here: https://buff.ly/2bnlsdc

08/22/2026

The time has come and Arc Poetry Magazine is very pleased to announce the finalists for the 2026 Archibald Lampman Award: The Great Wake by Nina Berkhout, Several Small Animals Enclosed in a Benedictine Monastery by Vera Hadzic, and the book of sentences by rob mclennan. Congratulations to the authors!

More details about these excellent books and the Lampman Award can be found here: https://arcpoetry.ca/contest/archibald-lampman-award/archibald-lampman-2026/

08/21/2026

Arc's Poetry Editor Jenna Butler selected “P’S & Q’S” by Faust B as her Editor's Choice from this year's Poem of the Year Contest. "This intelligently crafted poem roams widely within the constraints of its brief lines, opening into a vital discussion of linguistic acquisition and loss, code switching, and the many ways in which language can be used against marginalized speakers in a society under surveillance." Read more here: https://arcpoetry.ca/editorials/ps-qs-faust-bencosme/

08/19/2026

“Sgroi’s collection of poems reminded me of the cycle of life, of regeneration, of the strange justices and injustices we find in nature.” In her intimate review, Carolyne Van Der Meer reflects on how Renée M. Sgroi’s In a Tension of Leaves and Binding accompanied her through a period of grief. Through the natural world, Sgroi’s poems explore loss, regeneration, and the search for meaning in the infinite cycles of life. Read full review here: https://buff.ly/6nR6G0Y

08/18/2026

Nancy Jo Cullen says that “A Place Both Inside and Out” by Vinita Agrawal "is a dense consideration of the natural complexities of geography in these days of disruptive climate change." Read more about why this poem earned a spot on the Poem of the Year Contest shortlist and why it was Nancy's Editor's Choice: https://buff.ly/hPH9GFb

07/27/2026

Attention Ottawa writers who are unpublished in book form! Submissions for the 2026 Diana Brebner Prize officially open August 1! This year's judge is Tawahum Bige, who will select the winning poem from eligible submissions received before the deadline. With a $35 entry fee, you can submit one or two poems and receive a 1-year subscription to Arc Poetry Magazine. Don't miss this opportunity to share your work! Details here: https://buff.ly/2bnlsdc

07/09/2026

We’re recruiting an Ottawa-based Board Secretary to join our volunteer Board of Directors! As Secretary, you’ll be working closely with other volunteers and the admin team to maintain board records, coordinate meetings, strengthen governance practices, and support Canadian poetry.

Time commitment: 10-12 hours/month
Applicants must be based in Ottawa

To apply, send your statement of interest and CV to [email protected]
More about this posting here: https://buff.ly/PDV3xbu