Mississauga celebrates Poetry Month with wide range of events

Poets and fans of poetry will have plenty to do in Mississauga for the next four weeks as the city celebrates National Poetry Month.

City of Mississauga officials say if you like a good haiku or sonnet, they’ve got numerous events lined up throughout April to interest you.

“Mississauga is hosting a range of activities that will get everyone excited about poetry and the written and spoken word,” City officials said in a news release. “Poetry Month is your opportunity to learn more about the power of poetry, hear from Canadian poets and recognize the talent and creativity within our city. It’s also your chance to try something new, sharpen your own poetry skills and connect with others who share your passion.”

Here’s a list of events/activities going on this month:

• have your poetry featured online–from April 1 to 30, submit your original poem for a chance to win a $50 or $100 gift card and have your poem posted on mississauga.ca. Mississauga’s poet laureates and library staff will judge submissions. Submit poems to [email protected] by April 30
• Mississauga’s third annual Poetry Slam takes place online April 28 at 6 p.m. Mississauga-based poets and spoken word artists ages 14 to 24 are invited to perform. Prizes will be awarded to the top three poets. Submissions close April 15 at 9 p.m. and must include original content only.
• the City’s online Author Talks series features two Canadian poets: Anna Yin, April 6 at 7 p.m., and Jasmin Kaur, April 13 at 7 p.m.
• hear from Mississauga Poet Laureates Qurat Dar and Ayomide Bayowa and learn more about their craft at events where they will be special guests: online poetry writing workshop (ages 13 and over) on April 7 at 6 p.m. and an online teen poetry writing club (ages 13-19) on April 13 and 20 at 4 p.m.
• online poetry club–April 27 at 6 p.m. for ages 13 and over. Connect with other poetry lovers, spend time practicing your poetry skills and participate in a guided discussion of a poet’s work

For more information on all events planned for April, search City of Mississauga Poetry Month 2022.