The 2007 John Newlove Poetry Award

will take place on October 15, 2007, 8:30 pm at the Ottawa International Writers Festival
Library and Archives Canada
395 Wellington Street, Cabaret Room
Free!

This is Bywords' fifth time at the Writers Festival and the fourth annual Newlove award. It should be an exciting evening with Roland Prevost, last year's award winner, launching his chapbook, Metafizz, the music of John Carroll and of course the announcement of the winner and honourable mentions who will also read. The judge for this year's award was George Elliott Clarke, who will be at the festival at 6pm on October 15.

"[The award winning poem] sustains a classic narrative visually, while also permitting taut and tantalizing wordplay. The poet crafts vivid, alive images, allows enjoyable contrasts, and interrupts expectations, thanks to choice line-breaks and enjambment. [The winning poem] is not only a ludic lyric; plain speech is also granted poetic power. It takes the John Newlove Award because its poet is fearless-adventuring, risking, and daring much, specifically in making the poem an art form, but one as adamantly accessible and as plastic as language itself. Its teasing nature renders it pleasing, and there is no treasure without pleasure."
--George Elliott Clarke

hope to see you there and at other festival events, especially THE LIFE AND POETRY OF JOHN NEWLOVE Documentary Film and Book Launch with Robert McTavish
Hosted by rob mclennan on Sunday, October 21 at 2pm.

Amanda Earl