Third Annual Poetry In Voice Competition Extends Across Canada

From our friends at Poetry in Voice:

Poetry In Voice/Les voix de la poésie is back for its third year, and this time the stakes are higher and the competition is tougher. For the first time, the annual poetry recitation competition will extend its reach from Ontario and Quebec to the rest of the country, and more than $20,000 in awards and school stipends will be awarded to winners and their school libraries.

Founded by Scott Griffin, chairman and founder of the The Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry, the competition aims to promote the art of poetry recitation in both the classroom and the community. With online registration now open, the competition begins at the classroom level, and is followed by a school-wide contest, then progresses to Online Semifinals, and concludes with the National Finals taking place in the spring.

“Opening this competition to the entire country is a milestone I’ve been looking forward to since our first year,” said Griffin. “Not only is it a great opportunity for students to personally engage with important classical and contemporary poetry, but I believe public speaking is an integral aspect of educational development, in that it builds confidence and helps students break out of their comfort zone.”

Thirty-six students from around the country will advance to the National Finals in Toronto. The top-scoring finalists will compete for championship titles before a large audience of poetry lovers at the Isabel Bader Theatre on Wednesday, May 15 at 7 p.m. The following new prizes will be awarded to this year’s champions:

• English prize: The English Champion will win $5,000 for the best combined score of three recitations in English; their school library will be awarded $1,000 ($500 reserved for the purchase of poetry books).
• French prize: The French Champion will win $5,000 for the best combined score of three recitations in French; their school library will be awarded $1,000 ($500 reserved for the purchase of poetry books).
• Bilingual prize: The Bilingual Champion will win $5,000 for the best combined score of one poem in English and one poem in French; their school library will win $1,000 ($500 reserved for the purchase of poetry books).
• A runner-up in each of the three categories will take home $1,000 and their school libraries will each be awarded $500 for the purchase of poetry books.

The registration deadline for secondary schools across Canada is Monday, December 31. Submissions for the Online Semifinals will be accepted between Monday, January 14 and Friday, March 15.

About Poetry In Voice:
Poetry In Voice is a national recitation competition, reaching across Canada in English and French, for secondary school and Collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP) students. By engaging deeply with classic and contemporary examples of English- and French-language poetry through memorization and performance, students make poetry their own.

About The Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry:
The Trust was founded in April 2000 by chairman Scott Griffin, along with trustees Margaret Atwood, Carolyn Forché, Robert Hass, Michael Ondaatje, Robin Robertson, and David Young. By funding the Griffin Poetry Prize — the world’s largest prize for a first edition single collection of poetry written in, or translated into, English — The Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry aims to spark the public’s imagination and raise awareness of the crucial role poetry plays in our cultural life, a mission shared by Poetry In Voice.