Writes of Spring open for submissions until April 1

Writes of Spring, a poetry initiative of the Winnipeg International Writers Festival led by Winnipeg writer Ariel Gordon in partnership with the Winnipeg Free Press, is just around the corner!

This year, Writes of Spring is working with the City of Winnipeg’s Winnipeg 150 theme, “Our shared stories. Our shared future.” Winnipeg 150 marks the anniversary of the first meeting of city council in January 1874. We are open to any interpretation of this theme.

Here are some basic reminders:
* You must be a Winnipeg resident to submit;
* You may submit up to five poems IN ONE DOCUMENT, in English or French. Each poem must be 30 lines or less;
* You must provide a short bio (30 words or less);
* By submitting to Writes of Spring, you are agreeing to be photographed, have your work published in the Winnipeg Free Press on April 27, and perform at a Writes of Spring launch at McNally Robinson Booksellers on April 28 at 2:00 pm. Selected poets will receive $75.
* The deadline to submit is April 1, 2024.

Gordon and co-editor Julian Day are looking forward to reviewing all submissions, and will provide thoughtful editorial engagement with all poets accepted into this year’s group.

Please understand that submissions invariably outnumber potential spaces!

Writes of Spring is committed to a diversity of voices: emerging, PoC, urban, spoken word, Indigenous, established, rural, Black, 2SLGBTQ+, newcomers, and page poets.

Visit the Writes of Spring website for more information and to submit your work.