OTTAWA — April is National Poetry Month and the theme this year proposed by the League of Canadian Poets, is Resilience: Resilience is the courage to start each day anew. We celebrate, reflect on, and respect the resilience that has made us who we are. Ottawa Public Library (OPL) is delighted to invite you to explore the fascinating realm of poetry. The earliest form of poetry is believed to have been recited, chanted or sung, as a way of remembering oral history, genealogy, and law. That said, poetry was initially a verbal art, and it continues to show us the beauty and potential of language and creative expression in written form, nowadays, sometimes building on centuries of exquisite poetry and often breaking new ground to distill from lived experience the truth and beauty of existence. Join OPL in appreciating poetry, reading poetry, listening to poetry, writing poetry, and sharing poetry. OPL has engaged courageous educators and poets, who have each explored and celebrated resilience in their work, for three evening events that you won’t want to miss:
- April 14, at 6 pm: Attend Croisée des motsavec Sonia-Sophie Courdeau for an evening of readings and virtual discussions – in French.
- April 27, at 7 pm: Join us for a conversation with prolific poet Seymour Mayne, as he discusses his latest collection of poetry Perfume: Poems and Word Sonnets.
- May 3, at 7 pm: Join us for Rebel with a Rhyme, spoken word poet Britta B will be hosting a virtual poetry workshop.
Registration for the above is easy online. Follow the link or visit the OPL website.
Mark your calendar for Thursday, April 29: Poem in Your Pocket Day. Select a poem, carry it with you, and share it with others! No doubt this year more than ever, everybody could benefit from some poetic inspiration and beauty! Discover new favorite poetry in OPL’s physical and digital collections. Sadly, there is no browsing the shelves in OPL branches during the pandemic restrictions, but you can explore the catalogue recommendations on the OPL website and request your holds online.
For more information on this program, visit BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca.