Senior National Finals

2024 National Finals in Ottawa

 

 

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Come celebrate National Poetry Month with a poetry competition like no other!

Every year, high school students from across the country memorize and perform poems in English and French by Canadian, Indigenous, and international poets, competing against one another for their ability to embody the essence of the poem. Organized by Poetry in Voice, the best go on to compete in a national competition judged by a panel of acclaimed poets.

Mesmerising, emotional and powerful, these youth distill life through the poetry they voice—to echo the great Gwendolyn Brooks—and bring to life one of our oldest art forms. These youth believe in the power of their words to transform us and, after hearing them, so will you.

This year’s competition will be guided by former CBC and CTV personalities, Johanne Blais and Evan Solomon, and judged by Canadian poetry luminaries Marie-Célie Agnant, Michael Crummey, Armand Garnet Ruffo, Natasha Kanapé Fontaine, Susan Musgrave, and Chloé Savoie-Bernard.

Every ticket includes an invitation to a meet and greet with the poet-judges and surprise guests over complimentary refreshments at 7 p.m. before the show begins.

 


2023 National Finals and FutureVerse in Moh’kinsstis/Calgary

From April 17 to 20, 2023, the top reciters from across the country were on Treaty 7 land in Moh’kinsstis/Calgary to compete in our National Finals. For the first time, National Finals took place alongside FutureVerse, our brand new writing-intensive for high school poets.

In the days leading up to the National Finals Show, young poets from all over Canada were immersed in poetry. Here are just a few of the activities that took place!

  • "Writing Change into the World: Equality, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Poetry," a workshop presented by Wakefield Brewster
  • Walking tour and writing activities by the Bow River, with Bertrand Bickersteth
  • Fill Yer Boots! Poetry Hunt, discovering poets and poetry-related locations throughout the city of Calgary
  • Indigenous lunch with Elder Adrian Wolfleg, paper making with Tamara Cardinal, and writing with Kaitlyn Purcell
  • "A Panel on Publishing and Professionalization," with Micheline Maylor and Rodney Saint-Éloi
  • Eco poetics writing and nature walk with Rita Wong

At the end of the week, FutureVerse participants presented their original poetry, and National Finalists took to the stage. The National Finals Show took place on Thursday, April 20, 2023 at the Patricia A. Whelan Performance Hall, at the Calgary Central Public Library. Watch the full show here!

Calgary Public Library


The top-scoring students from our Senior Online Qualifiers are invited to compete at the National Semifinals. Then at the National Finals, the top 3 students in each of our three contest streams (English, Bilingual, and French) compete and we award the following:

  • 1st place: $3,000 
  • 2nd place: $2,000 
  • 3rd place: $1,000

With poetry-themed cultural activities, National Finals is a truly immersive event: to date, we’ve hosted a Q&A with Margaret Atwood for finalists and their teachers; poetry-themed gallery tours of the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Art Gallery of Ontario; a screening of Al Purdy Was Here followed by a Q&A with director, Brian Johnson; the Amazing Recitation Race in Vancouver; the Epic Toronto Poetry Showdown; the Epic Winnipeg Poetry Hunt; writing workshops for students; and best-practice workshops for teachers.


2022 National Online Finals

 

On Thursday, April 21, 2022, 9 finalists brought poetry to life on the national stage.The National Finals was hosted by former CBC Radio personality Johanne Blais and judged by a jury of celebrated poets: Michael Crummey, Fiona Tinwei Lam, and Brandon Wint for the English recitations; Laurie Bédard, Flavia Garcia, and Baron Marc-André Lévesque for the French recitations. 

See all the finalists' recitations on our recitation videos webpage, or watch the full show on our YouTube channel!

National Finalists Prizes

Online national finalists won the following cash prizes:

  • 1st place: $3,000 for the student, $1,000 for poetry books for their school’s library
  • 2nd place: $2,000 for the student, $500 for poetry books for their school’s library
  • 3rd place: $1,000 for the student, $250 for poetry books for their school’s library

Semifinalists Prizes

Our 42 Semifinalists were each awarded a $250 prize. This year, Yusra Ali from Edmonton Islamic Academy in Edmonton, Alberta won the English People’s Choice and Natalia Starzeba from Philip Pocock School in Mississauga, Ontario won the French People’s Choice prize. The People’s Choice winners were awarded $500 on top of the $250 for being named a Semifinalist. You can watch all 42 of our semifinalists here.

 


 

2021 Online National Finals

 

On Thursday, April 22, 2021, the top 9 student reciters from across Canada lifted poetry off the page and competed for over $35,000 in prizes in our Online National Finals. Due to COVID-19, the event was held online for the second year in a row, and all 24 students won cash prizes for their participation. We were stunned by the talent and passion our students continue to bring with them even in the most difficult times.

 

 

 

 


 

2020 Online National Finals

On Friday, April 17, 2020, the top 9 student reciters from across Canada lifted poetry off the page and competed for over $35,000 in prizes in our first Online National Finals. COVID-19 forced the cancellation of our Montreal event, but all 24 students won cash prizes for their participation in the Online National Finals, and we hope to return to Montreal in 2021!

 


Looking back at the 2019 National Finals in Winnipeg

 

 

Watch the Finals

 

Watch the English Semifinals

 

Watch the French & Bilingual Semifinals

 

 


Looking back at the 2018 National Finals in Toronto

 

The Awards Show:

 

The English Qualifiers

 

The French & Bilingual Qualifiers

 

 

 

 


Looking back at the 2017 National Finals in Vancouver

 

English Finals & Showcase

In this event hosted by Bill Richardson, the top 6 students from the English Stream Qualifiers competed for the prizes for themselves and their school libraries. The French and Bilingual winners from earlier in the day were also showcased.

 

French & Bilingual Finals

During this event hosted by Johanne Blais, six students in the French Stream and six in the Bilingual stream competed for the $5,000 grand prizes.

 

English Qualifiers

Hosted by former English Champion Roan Shankaruk, this competition features twelve high school students from across Canada reciting 3 poems from our anthology. The top 6 students advanced to our English Finals.

 

Resisting, Surviving, and Embracing: Nationhood and Identity on #Canada150

 

Poet Jordan Abel led a discussion among Indigenous writers on the concepts of Canadian and Indigenous nationhood and the ways in which those ideas are expressed through poetry. 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

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