Celebrate National Poetry Month with NorthWord Literary Magazine

(March 24, 2025) Fort McMurray, AB – During the month of April, NorthWord Literary Magazine is embracing National Poetry Month by sharing a poem from each past edition daily on all our social media channels. We invite everyone to follow along, enjoy these featured works, and participate by posting their own poetry using the hashtag #NorthWordPoetryMonth and tagging Northword Magazine.

National Poetry Month is a time dedicated to celebrating the power and beauty of poetry. Established by the League of Canadian Poets in 1998, this month highlights the importance of poetic expression and encourages communities across the country to engage with poetry in meaningful ways.

“This new campaign marks a rebirth of our past 30 publications. We’ve showcased a wealth of talent over the years, and this initiative will reconnect us with the incredible works of the many artists we’ve published,” said Dawn Booth, President of the Northern Canada Collective Society of Writers. “We hope it will not only expand our reach to even more artists but also inspire others to create new works.”

But that’s not all—on April 12 the highly anticipated launch of NorthWord Issue 31 will be launched! While this edition explores the theme of Isolation, we’re bringing people together to celebrate its release. Join us for an afternoon of literary connection and artistic appreciation at our official launch event:

WHEN: Saturday, April 12, 1:00–3:00 p.m.

WHERE: Fort McMurray International Airport (YMM), Observation Area, Level 3

Attendees will enjoy readings, artwork displays, refreshments, and a book sale, plus the unveiling of our stunning new cover. You’ll be among the first to receive a fresh-off-the-press copy of Issue 3,1and we encourage you to take extra copies to share with your friends, family, and colleagues.

“We're grateful for all the submissions to NorthWord Issue 31—a record number of 83! Our guest editor, Steve Reeve, had a challenging job to select the pieces that appear in this issue,” says Jane Jacques, Managing Editor of the Northern Canada Collective Society of Writers. “We're also pleased to come full circle, since Steve's parents, Jennifer and Blair Hemstock, were founding members of NorthWord back in 2009. The literary magazine that started as Jennifer's vision has flourished now for sixteen years.”

Special guest Steve Reeve—radio host at CRUZ-FM, film producer, and guest editor of Issue 31—will be present to discuss the selection process and host a Q&A with Greg Halinda, local photographer and guest editor of our upcoming Issue 32. Thanks to YMM Airport, our generous event sponsor, parking will be free for all attendees.

Call for Submissions: NorthWord Issue 32

Inspired to submit your own work? Submissions are now open for NorthWord Issue 32, themed Catharsis. We welcome poetry, prose, and artwork from writers and artists of all backgrounds. The submission deadline is April 30, so don’t miss this opportunity to have your work featured in our next edition! Send your submissions to northword@hushmail.com.

For more information, visit our website or follow us on social media @northwordmagazine. Let’s celebrate National Poetry Month together—one poem at a time.