Editor’s Notes

Happy new year, dear readers,

I hope you received and gave lots of poetry books as gifts over the holidays.

The first issue of the year features poetry by four Ottawa-based poets. Enjoy!

In 2015 Bywords.ca will publish twelve issues of poetry, host the John Newlove Poetry Award reading at the Ottawa International Writers Festival and publish the latest Newlove Award series chapbook, this year by Matthew Walsh. Our selection committee will be hard at work reading the poems you submit to choose them for each issue. Please join me in welcoming two new members of the selection committee: Anne Le Dressay and Robert Martin Evans.

Last year via social media, I sent out Tweets & Facebook news about over 1,100 readings, signings, workshops, spoken word showcases and slams. I also sent out news of calls for submission, festivals, local publisher and writer activity. I expect this year to be another great year for literary and spoken word events in Ottawa and I hope to see you there.

Don't forget to send information about your literary events to me and to submit poems by the 15th of each month. See the guidelines on the site.

Thanks to our selection committee this month:

Jason Lamantia
Fiona Mitchell
Pamela Mosher
Kemisha Newman
Carol A. Stephen
JC Sulzenko

May 2015 bring you great joy and inspiration.

If you have questions, comments, suggestions or snow angels to offer, please contact me at amanda@bywords.ca.

For regular event updates, please follow us on Twitter or join our FaceBook fan page.

Amanda Earl