Vancouver, BC – Poetry In Voice/Les voix de la poésie is proud to announce the winners of its fourth annual poetry recitation competition, held last night at Vancouver’s Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre. In the country-wide competition, students competed for the opportunity to take home $5,000 in each category.
The nine student winners are:
English Prize Stream
Roan Shankaruk from Vancouver, BC, won the first prize of $5,000, and $1,000 for Vancouver Technical Secondary School’s library (with $500 reserved for the purchase of poetry books) for the best combined score of three recitations in English.
Ian Hogeboom-Burr from Toronto, ON, won the second prize of $1,000, and $500 for Etobicoke School of the Arts’ library for the purchase of poetry books.
Leo Chang from Vancouver, BC, won the third prize of $500, and $250 for St. George’s School’s library for the purchase of poetry books.
French Prize Stream
Mattis Savard-Verhoeven from Montreal, QC, won the first prize of $5,000, and $1,000 for Cégep du Vieux Montréal’s school library (with $500 reserved for the purchase of poetry books) for the best combined score of three recitations in English.
Ophélie Proulx-Giraldeau from Montreal, QC, won the second prize of $1,000, and $500 for École internationale de Montréal’s library for the purchase of poetry books.
Nicolas Desnoyers from St-Hyacinthe, QC, won the third prize of $500, and $250 for École secondaire St-Joseph’s library for the purchase of poetry books.
Bilingual Prize Stream
Kelsi James from Vancouver, BC, won the first prize of $5,000, and $1,000 for Dr. Charles Best Secondary School’s library (with $500 reserved for the purchase of poetry books) for the best combined score of one poem in English and one poem in French.
Marianne Verville from Montreal, QC, won the second prize of $1,000, and $500 for Cégep du Vieux Montréal’s library for the purchase of poetry books.
Andrea Rodriguez-Marin from Toronto, ON, won the third prize of $500, and $250 for Lycée français de Toronto’s library for the purchase of poetry books.
During the two-day National Finals, students were treated to a guided tour of the Vancouver Art Gallery followed by a visual arts workshop and a writing workshop run by poet and Creative Director Damian Rogers.
Many of Vancouver’s best poets and artists were present at the Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre and the reception at the World Arts Centre including George Bowering, Elizabeth Bachinsky, and Vancouver poet laureate Evelyn Lau.
“Students participating at the Canadian finals held in Vancouver were excellent. The judges and the audience were inspired by their performances, which speaks to the importance of poetry and the place it should occupy in our cultural lives,” said Scott Griffin, founder of Poetry In Voice and The Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry.
Over 370 schools signed up for Poetry In Voice this year and the National Finals included 39 finalists from secondary schools and Collèges d’enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEPs) from across Canada. This year, an estimated 30,000 students were challenged to memorize and recite poems in English or French from a set anthology of classic and contemporary poems. Last night’s event was the final contest; all of the finalists had already won their classroom, school, and regional contests. Each year, Poetry In Voice awards more than $75,000 in travel for finalists, cash prizes, and library resources.
About Poetry In Voice:
Poetry In Voice aims to promote poetry in the classroom and the community. Poetry In Voice is a national recitation competition, reaching across Canada, for secondary school and Collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP) students. It serves to engage students in an appreciation of the beauty of language through poetry, while at the same time instilling a sense of confidence through the art of public speaking.
Website: poetryinvoice.ca
Twitter: @PIV_LVP
Facebook: Poetry In Voice/Les voix de la poésie
For interview requests, please contact:
Damian Rogers at 416.993.5683
or damian@poetryinvoice.ca