Laura Power
Northern News Services
Published Friday, January 18, 2008

YELLOWKNIFE - Much of Canada is scattered with poets laureate, whether they represent the country's cities or provinces. But the NWT - along with both other territories and a few provinces - has none.

Agnes Walsh is the first poet laureate of St. John's, N.L. - photo courtesy of Brick Books Lorri Neilson is the poet laureate for Halifax. - Photo courtesy of Kitty Lewis

Next week, however, two poets laureate will visit Yellowknife as part of a larger tour. Agnes Walsh, who represents St. John's, and Lorri Neilsen Glenn of Halifax are both looking forward to mingling with a Northern audience later in the week. A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government, and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions.

Kitty Lewis, general manager of Brick Books, which has recently published work by both poets, said she thought a tour of the country would be fun for them, as they could meet some of the other representing poets.

"I've had this idea cooking in my little brain for a while," she said.

But though Walsh and Neilsen Glenn will later get to meet poets laureate in places such as Edmonton and Victoria, their first couple of stops - in Yellowknife and Whitehorse - will be a different story. Walsh, who has been St. John's' poet laureate for a few years now, said it will be interesting to possibly spark a similar idea in the territories.

"I'd love to just bring that up in Yellowknife and Whitehorse and see if one could be got on the go," she said.

But being a poet laureate isn't all it's cracked up to be, she said. Many of the ideas she brought to the table, including the publication of a book of poetry about the Portuguese in Newfoundland, have been rejected.

She was, after some fuss, given an opportunity to visit Waterford, Ireland - which has been twinned with St. John's - to do some readings.

"That's no thanks to the city," she said. "It was my publisher."

During this trip, she said she's interested to compare such stories with those of other poets laureate.

But her main focus is to share her poetry with folks up North.

Neilsen Glenn has spent time in Yellowknife before, teaching writing, according to Lewis. But for Walsh and for Lewis, who will join the poets it will be a completely new experience.

The authors will read at Yellowknife Book Cellar on Wednesday Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m.

On Thursday Jan. 24, the two will host a workshop, in which they will discuss their work and the works of other poets.

The workshop will take place from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Yellowknife Public Library's meeting room, and all are welcome to attend.