DEDICATION TO OUR FOUNDER, PETER B. JONES
Almost sixteen years ago a delightful Englishman walked into my painting class. We became friends instantly. As our friendship developed I learned that Peter Jones not only loved fine art but poetry as well and had established a publishing business to encourage people, young and older, to write.
I began to work for him and admired his dedication to his 'young writers'. His attention to detail and unflagging energy earned my respect and admiration. He truly believed in the need for a venue for children to express themselves and better yet, to have their heart-felt efforts published in a real book that they could keep, or give as a gift and to read the work of their peers.
Over the years some beautiful and inspirational work has come across our desks, with writers entering their work year after year. They are not only expressing their loyalty to our cause but great depth of thought and sensitivity.
Peter left us in April of 2014, slipping peacefully away after an illness. The legacy of his belief in Canada's writers of all ages lives on in us and the many books on our shelves and the many thousands of happy creative published authors.
Peter, we miss you more than words can express but we will continue to honour you and your commitment to poetry and short story writing. We will strive to maintain your dream of giving voice to the creative soul in all of us and for than we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
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ABOUT US
The Poetry Institute of Canada was founded to encourage the art of poetry throughout the nation. This is being done by holding highly competitive poetry and short story contests and awarding cash prizes and other awards each year.
An anthology is published after each contest. This occurs after final judging of poems or stories has taken place and all prizes have been awarded by the judging committee.
This is our twenty-second year of successfully holding these contests. We are delighted with the positive response from poets, authors, teachers and parents, and have many encouraging letters on file praising our efforts. Please visit our testimonial page.
Our aim amongst young Canadians is to encourage the writing of English poetry, by publishing examples of the best work received each year. We provide the opportunity for many students to see their work in print, and also to compare it with the work of students of a similar age. It is also important that their writing skill be given an audience where it can be shared and enjoyed by others.
There is no obligation other than the return of the writer's author's release form, which gives us permission to publish their work.
Poets/authors receive the news of our contests mainly through news releases. These are published as a news article by editors of local newspapers. Or, in the case of schools, used for an English project in the classroom, or posted on the school notice board.
In our contests we do not publish all entries; up to 40 percent are not accepted. We value what we do, and know we are doing a wonderful job in uniting writers of "all" ages and encouraging many to continue with their writing. Please contact us if you have any concerns or questions; we'll be happy to hear from you.
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... I replied as soon as I received the congratulations. Firstly, I would like to thank everyone involved for this opportunity to share my work.
I cannot begin to express my gratitude to the judges, editors and everyone involved. I love poetry and I am so very thankful for the chance to compete alongside poets with equal passion. ~ Branden E. - August, 2013
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Hello! My name’s Luc, for the Poetry Institute of Canada’s Open Ages poetry contest last year, I entered a poem “Fields in Fallow” and got an award of excellence for the entry! After that success, I wanted to enter again this year and I put even more effort into this poem. It’s a lot of fun! I’m glad these contests are offered. I just wish I had known about them earlier in high school.
I’m attending the University of British Columbia next year in the sciences. Thanks to experience like these contests, I’ve kept strong a love for the arts and will pursue a well-rounded degree. Just so you know, you’re making a difference in people’s lives! - Luc
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Thank you for the tremendous opportunity. I am so very grateful to you and the entire staff whom work so very hard to help aspiring poets achieve a step towards completing their literary goals. This contest, for me, allows me the privilege to see in print my works. I love the gift of word, and seeing my young daughter anticipate and aspire to become poet/songwriter as well lets me know what a true blessing The Poetry Institute of Canada bestows upon us. Now story writing, wow. Thank you ever so sincerely. Lorri B.
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