For immediate release — 9 am EDT, April 25, 2024
Ottawa, ON - Nine remarkable students from across Canada have been awarded $18,000 at the 2024 Poetry In Voice/Les voix de la poésie National Finals. The event showcased linguistic and artistic talent in English, French and Bilingual categories at the prestigious National Arts Centre.
Celebrating the 2024 Poetry In Voice National Champions
Competition was fierce with finalists delivering powerful recitations from classic and contemporary poets like Billy Ray-Belcourt, Sonnet L'Abbé, Charles Beaudelaire, and Ruth Daniell.
Leading up to the national finals, over 24,000 students nationwide participated in regional recitation competitions. The progression to the top 24 in the Online Semifinals and the final nine outstanding finalists highlights the recitation event's broad appeal and the impact of Poetry In Voice/Les voix de la poésie.
Competition Jury and Hosts
This year's competition saw an impressive jury lineup including esteemed poets Michael Crummey, Susan Musgrave, and Armand Garnet Ruffo for the English recitations and Marie-Célie Agnant, Natasha Kanapé Fontaine, and Chloé Savoie-Bernard for the French recitations. Event hosts Johanne Blais and Evan Solomon added a vibrant touch to the evening.
FutureVerse Poetry Intensive
The FutureVerse poetry intensive, sponsored by the MacCall McBain Foundation, was offered in conjunction with the competition. This four-day event sharpened the talents of 16 selected student poets, immersing them in workshops and discussions with literary luminaries such as Tylor Pennock, Dalia Shalabi, and Susan Musgrave.
2024 National Finals Champions
The 2024 Poetry In Voice National Finals Champions are:
ENGLISH STREAM
- Emiliia Lebedeva, Webber Academy, Calgary, AB - First Prize: $3,000 (centre)
- James Hoag, Prince of Wales Secondary School, Vancouver, BC - Second Prize: $2,000 (left)
- Daniela Damier Ducreux, Collège Jean-Eudes, Montréal, QC - Third Prize: $1,000 (right)
BILINGUAL STREAM
- Chloé Simard, Champlain Regional College – Saint-Lambert, Saint-Lambert, QC - First Prize: $3,000 (centre)
- Bem Denga, Webber Academy, Calgary, AB - Second Prize: $2,000 (left)
- Maia Cassie, Queen Margaret's School, Duncan, BC - Third Prize: $1,000 (right)
FRENCH STREAM
- Leïla Malo, Collège Jean-Eudes, Montréal, QC - First Prize: $3,000 (centre)
- Cynthia Li, Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf, Montréal, QC - Second Prize: $2,000 (left)
- Sara-Joelle Yao, École Alexandre-Taché, St-Albert, AB - Third Prize: $1,000 (right)
LIVESTREAM
You can watch the livestream available on our website.
About Poetry In Voice/Les voix de la poésie
Founded by Scott Griffin, chairman and founder of the illustrious Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry, Poetry In Voice/Les voix de la poésie encourages all Canadians to speak the language of poetry. They are the essential resource for teaching and learning poetry in Canada — and beyond.
The organization started by hosting a recitation contest with 12 schools in Ontario in 2010 and has since become “a cultural force in Canada,” according to Margaret Atwood. Every year, the organization hosts two national recitation contests (one for students in Grades 9–12, and another for students in Grades 6–8) and a dozen local team recitation contests every year. These contests rely on robust online anthologies of classic and contemporary poems in English and French.
The organization also publishes an annual bilingual journal of student poetry, VOICES/VOIX, with issue #6 to be released next September. Their websites also include comprehensive teaching materials, and to date Poetry In Voice/Les voix de la poésie has sent poets into over 1300 classrooms to work with over 40,000 students through their Poet In Class/Poètes à l’école program.
MEDIA CONTACT
For all media enquiries, including interviews with the finalists, the FutureVerse participants or with Poetry In Voice/Les voix de la poésie, contact:
- Executive Director, David Smith. e: david@poetryinvoice.ca, c: 514.668.0768
- Rorie Bruce. e: rorbruce@mymts.net, c: 204-781-1769