The League of Canadian Poets was founded in 1966 by five writers, including Margaret Atwood. Their vision was to draw the poets of Canada together in one administrative and creative body. In such a way, poets would support each others' successes and commiserate with each others' failures. They would also provide funds for prizes and grants, while serving as a political force on such issues as copyright and royalties.
Today the League of Canadian Poets has over 600 full and associate members and is a recognized force in the Canadian literary scene.
Membership
The League has four levels of membership:
- Supporting
- Student
- Associate
- Full
A supporting member essentially donates $100 a year to the organization. In return they receive the monthly electronic newsletter and voting rights at the Annual General meeting. Students in high school with an interest in writing poetry only pay $20 a year to access the same services. Additionally, they can enter the Poetic License contest each year, access the youth poetry chat room and submit to the online journal Re:verse.
Associate members pay $60 a year. This level is for those who don't have sufficient publishing and/or performing credits for full membership. They receive the newsletter, have voting privileges and can promote their readings through the Calendar. Full members pay $175 a year for the above benefits, plus they can apply to have readings funded throughout the year and participate in April Poetry Month events. If they have any grievances, such as lack of royalty payment from a publisher, they can apply to the committee to resolve the issue.
The League is run by several paid staff and a host of volunteer representatives for each province and political concern such as freedom of expression. These positions are subject to being voted in each AGM.
Programs
The League of Canadian Poets offers a wide range of resources for writers and teachers. Along with publishing Poetry Markets for Canadians, they also offer a youth message board and manuscript assistance.
The organization additionally gives out two prizes a year at its annual meeting: The Gerald Lampert Award for best first book and The Pat Lowther Award for best book by a female writer. Both carry $1000 remunerations and the chance to perform at the AGM. Not only are there important meetings, but also The Anne Szumigalski Lecture is featured, awards, readings and usually a banquet/dance.
The League also delivers four reading programs. If the poet lives in Ontario, they can access the Poets in the Schools program and have workshops reimbursed. Poets can apply for funding for Readings in Public Places and throughout April Poetry month. If they have a book coming out, funding for a tour can also be obtained, the fee covering the costs of either a percentage of travel or accomodation.
There is also a Feminist Caucus where members can apply to deliver papers on panels at the AGM and can submit to the Feminist Archives series of chapbooks published once a year. The League is a vibrant organization devoted to nurturing the art of poetry in Canada.
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