newly posted at @periodicities.bsky.social : Lydia Unsworth : At Last I Have Been Here Long Enough: some notes on an urban poetics / @lydiaunsworth.bsky.social @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social ;
periodicityjournal.blogspot.com/2026/04/lydi...
National Poetry Month (via @chaudierebooks.bsky.social) : Melissa Powless Day, / @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social @palimpsestpress.bsky.social ;
chaudierebooks.blogspot.com/2026/04/nati...
Launch Party - Common House Mag / @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social ;
smallpressalmanac.blogspot.com/2026/04/cele...
this was an exquisite talk!
newly posted: Lydia Unsworth : At Last I Have Been Here Long Enough: some notes on an urban poetics / @lydiaunsworth.bsky.social @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social ;
periodicityjournal.blogspot.com/2026/04/lydi...
An orange starburst against a blue background. In black text overlaying the image appear the words: "Thank YOU! For making VERSeFest 2026 such a glorious success!" In furthe black script, the words "And thank you as alwasy to our supporters!" appear above a grey band featuring the logos of VERSeFest's funders: Manx Pub, Carleton U, Arc Poetry Magazine, Riverbed Reading Series, City of Ottawa, Canada Council for the Arts, University of Ottawa, League of Canadian Poets, Writer's Uniont of Canada, and Perfect Books.
Thank you all so much for making #VERSeFest2026!
We had full houses every night for our funny, engaging, thoughtful, excellent #poets!
See you at future VERSe Ottawa events, and at VERSeFest 2027! <3 <3 <3
VerseFest Hall of Honour last night.
A black and white phot of a young woman and young man. She has long light hair and a simple white dress. He has dark hair and a small beard and mustache and glasses, and is wearing a light suit and tie. There is text at the bottom saying Susan & Ian’s Wedding 1970
A white-haired older woman stands at a mic on a black stage wearing a deep red drapery dress and reading from a large book. Two etched glass awards stand on the table in front of her
A late contribution to #SundayPixBefore&After My mom on her wedding day, and today, being inducted into the Hall of Honour at #VerseFest for her lifetime of contributions to the Ottawa (& Canadian) poetry community. I’m very proud of her. ❤️
An orange starburst against a blue background. In black text overlaying the image appear the words: "Thank YOU! For making VERSeFest 2026 such a glorious success!" In furthe black script, the words "And thank you as alwasy to our supporters!" appear above a grey band featuring the logos of VERSeFest's funders: Manx Pub, Carleton U, Arc Poetry Magazine, Riverbed Reading Series, City of Ottawa, Canada Council for the Arts, University of Ottawa, League of Canadian Poets, Writer's Uniont of Canada, and Perfect Books.
Thank you all so much for making #VERSeFest2026!
We had full houses every night for our funny, engaging, thoughtful, excellent #poets!
See you at future VERSe Ottawa events, and at VERSeFest 2027! <3 <3 <3
Karen Solie standing behind a lectern in a sleek brown dress
Sample text from poem “Holiday at the Wave Pool”
Poet Karen Solie in a fabulous dress reading at @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social last night from her TS Eliot Prize-winning book Wellwater, finding the poetry in the West Edmonton Mall.
Always a Versefest highlight for me, the Factory Lecture series was terrific, yet again, this year
the final night of VERSeFest 2026! brilliance from Jumoke Verissimo, Lydia Unsworth, Nada Gordon, Kacper Bartczak, Alexandre Yergeau + Karen Solie; + this aft, Karen Solie at Carleton U! / @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social @nadagordon.bsky.social @houseofanansi.bsky.social ;
verseottawa.ca/en/versefest
another great afternoon yesterday of VERSeFest 2026! a Kado reading by Sébastien Rock, lectures by Nada Gordon and Lydia Unsworth, and our Hall of Honour event, celebrating Susan McMaster and Monty Reid! / @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social @lydiaunsworth.bsky.social
verseottawa.ca/en/versefest
The words "VERSeFest EXTRA - Monday, March 30 - 2:30pm - Carleton University - Dunton Tower Rm 2017 - Reading and Q&A with Karen Solie" appear in white text against a pink background, next to a photo of Karen Solie - a white woman with sharp features. Her hair is pulled back in a pony tail, and she's wearing hoop earrings and a turtleneck. Please note: This image is totally a screen-shot from our instagram account, which is why it's pretending there's a second slide. There is no second slide.
2:30pm TODAY
Presented in partnership with CU's Dept of English, join us at @carleton.ca (2017 Dunton Tower) for a FREE reading + Q&A with Karen Solie!
Karen Solie was born in Moose Jaw and grew up in rural Saskatchewan. She is the author of six books. Her most recent, Wellwater, won EVERYTHING.
Monty at the mic, chatting to the audience. He's a balding man with an excellent beard, wearing a VERSeFest t-shirt under a black blazer, and very comfortable shoes. His glasses also have ornate frames. His VERSeOttawa Hall of Honour award is on the table next to him. The VERSeFest banner is in the background.
Monty at the mic, gesturing, chatting to the audience. He's a balding man with an excellent beard, wearing a VERSeFest t-shirt under a black blazer, and very comfortable shoes. His glasses also have ornate frames. His VERSeOttawa Hall of Honour award is on the table next to him. The VERSeFest banner is in the background.
Monty at the mic, chatting to the audience. His VERSeOttawa Hall of Honour award is on the table next to him. He's a balding man with an excellent beard, wearing a VERSeFest t-shirt under a black blazer, and very comfortable shoes. His glasses also have ornate frames.
Monty at the mic, chatting to the audience. He's a balding man with an excellent beard, wearing a VERSeFest t-shirt under a black blazer, and very comfortable shoes. His glasses also have ornate frames. His VERSeOttawa Hall of Honour award is on the table next to him. The VERSeFest banner is in the background.
Monty Reid, receiving his VERSeOttawa Hall of Honour award, and talking about - among other things - VERSeFest.
#Ottawa #VERSeFest2026 #OttPoetry #OttawaPoetryHistory #PoetryEvent #PoetryFestival #VERSeHallOfHonour #HallOfHonour
Susan McMaster - A short, frail-looking white woman with a halo of silver-white hair and a vibrant red gown - at the mic giving her thank you speech. Her VERSeOttawa Hall of Honour statuette is on the table next to her, and the VERSeFest banner is in the background.
Susan McMaster - A short, frail-looking white woman with a halo of silver-white hair and a vibrant red gown - at the mic giving her thank you speech. Her VERSeOttawa Hall of Honour statuette is on the table next to her.
Susan McMaster - A short, frail-looking white woman with a halo of silver-white hair and a vibrant red gown - at the mic giving her thank you speech. Her VERSeOttawa Hall of Honour statuette is on the table next to her.
Susan McMaster receiving her induction in the Hall of Honour, and talk about - among other things - starting Branching Out feminist magazine in 1972.
More about Branching Out here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branchi...
#Ottawa #OttPoetry #OttawaPoetryHistory #feminisms #womenspoetry #versefest2026
A woman in an excellent off-the-shoulder top and floral skirt, with long, curly, lilac hair. speaking at a mic. Her glasses have orante frames.
The same woman in an excellent off-the-shoulder top and floral skirt, with long, curly, lilac hair. speaking at a mic. A blue banner, on an L-stand, appears in the background, featuring the VERSeFest Logo (a complicated capital "E" that looks like lines of text or sound bars on a mixing board) in white and the word "VERSeFest" in black text above it.
Nada Gordon on colocation, word choice, illogic and sound play.
A woman with red-brown hair and a t-shirt with a building printed on it, speaks at a mic to a crowd. A photo of a tiny park on a city street appears on a screen behind her.
A woman with red-brown hair and a t-shirt with a building printed on it, speaks at a mic to a crowd. A photo of a circular brutalist building in a parking lot appears on a screen behind her.
Lydia Unsworth speaking chez nous at Arts Court Black Box Studio today.
the grief the grief the grief the grief
This afternoon!
4:30pm
Arts Court Black Box Studio
Come honour some phenomenal poets with us!
Text: VERSeFest Presents Sunday, March 29 - 7:00pm Arts Court Black Box Studio Jumoke Verissimo Lydia Unsworth Nada Gordon With author photos of each
One more day / night of @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social
verseottawa.ca/en/versefest
hey! it's me with above/ground press authors Lydia Unsworth (Manchester UK) @lydiaunsworth.bsky.social and Jérôme Melancon (Regina SK) @lethejerome.bsky.social ! that's a lot of geography in one photo, // @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social
I’m having lunch with Nada Gordon and Lydia Unsworth! before they lecture this afternoon via @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social ; these guys are cool, // @nadagordon.bsky.social @lydiaunsworth.bsky.social
White text on a purple background accompanying photos of two women. Photos: Nada Gordon (L): A woman with curly, white hair, looking sardonically at the camera. Lydia Unsworth (R): A woman with red-brown hair wearing a huge scarf and a brown toque. She looks thoughtful and a little hopeful. The information contained in the white text is also available in text format in the body of the skeet.
TODAY, March 29, at 3:00pm
VERSeFest x Factory Lecture Series:
Nada Gordon + Lydia Unsworth
Join host rob mclennan for a fascinating discussion between international guests Lydia Unsworth and Nada Gordon.
Admission: FREE
OR watch online: versefest.ca
#OttPoetry #OttawaEvents #PoetryLecture
A blue QR Code against a black background, accompanying a text-based invitation to the viewer to sign up for the VERSeOttawa Mailing List. The url of the mailing list sign-up form is available in text format in the body of the skeet.
We've been having a great time this week!
If YOU want to get the word about VERSeOttawa shows, workshops, and events plus poetry news, writing prompts, and other goodies, you can sign up by using the qr code in the image OR by following this link:
verse-ottawa.kit.com/4aab0fd909
Yes! Brandi Bird's set is available on our youtube channel:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jof...
another great event yesterday as part of VERSeFest 2026! David O'Meara's Plan99 series hosted great readings by Declan Ryan and Stephanie Bolster! (Brandi Bird sent regrets, but a video is now online); today is day six! might we see you? / @versefest-ottawa.bsky.social
verseottawa.ca/en/versefest
Okay, so the video froze.
Did the audio keep going?
An honour and delight to be a Tuesday poet. Thank you, @robmclennan.bsky.social