9 Canadian students named 2023 finalists for $25K Poetry in Voice contest

Poetry in Voice has revealed the nine Canadian finalists for its annual poetry recitation contest and the 16 students selected for its FutureVerse poetry intensive.

The annual Poetry In Voice competition challenges Canadian students to learn poems by heart and perform them online for consideration. 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.

The competition was established by Scott Griffin, chairman and founder of the Griffin Trust for Excellence In Poetry, in 2010.  According to the organization, more than 20,000 students across Canada participated to learn a classic and contemporary poem by heart in 2023.

• Calling all writers: The 2023 CBC Poetry Prize is now open to Canadian poets

School champions participated in online qualifiers and the 24 students who obtained the highest scores advanced to the semifinals, where their videos were judged by a panel of Canadian poets.

The semifinalists all received $250 each in prize money. During the National Finals, a total of nearly $25,000 will be awarded to the winners. Students compete in one of the contest's three streams: English, French or Bilingual. 

The 2023 national finalists are:

English:

• Olivia Bridgman from Lycée Français de Toronto, Toronto
• Maia Cassie from Queen Margaret's School, Duncan, B.C. 
• Maria Espindola from Bishop Carroll High School, Calgary

French:

• Hope Anaky from École Alexandre-Tâche, St. Albert, Alta.
• Arsène Guillemot from Collège Français Secondaire Longueuil, Longueuil, Que.
• Chloé Simard from Champlain Regional College - Saint-Lambert, Saint-Lambert, Que.

Bilingual:

• Philippe Morissette from Lycée Français de Toronto, Toronto
• Aaronsaul Negre from All Saints High School, Calgary
• Maité Turgeon from Collège Saint-Anne Secondaire, Dorval, Que.

The nine finalists will move on to the national finals in Calgary, which, for the first time in three years, will be held live on April 20, 2023 and streamed on multiple platforms.

The finalists' recitations will be judged by a jury of poets: Richard Harrison, Micheline Maylor and Titilope Sonuga for the English recitations; Clémence Dumas-Côté, Evelyne Gagnon and Rodney St-Éloi for the French recitations. 

• Poetic License: 8 young poets speak their truth in anxious times

This year, the third annual edition of the People's Choice Award was also announced.  

Zeinab Kesserwann from Edmonton Islamic Academy in Edmonton won the English People's Choice prize, worth $500, while Maité Turgeon from Collège Sainte-Anne Secondaire Dorval in Dorval, Que., won the French People's Choice prize, also worth $500.

More than 6,500 people voted for their favourite recitation in the People's Choice Award category.

In 2023, the FutureVerse youth poetry event will be held alongside the National Finals in Calgary on April 20, 2023. An all-expenses-paid poetry intensive, the event brings together young writers from all over the country for four days of workshops, panels, readings and activities with Canadian authors, publishers and activists.

The 2023 FutureVerse participants are:

• Gray Mike from Inuksuk School, Iqaluit
• Batool Ali from Harry Ainlay School, Edmonton
• Obiajulu Udemgba from Walter Murray Collegiate, Saskatoon, Sask.
• Tyler-Rose Elizabeth Arden from Eastglen School, Edmonton
• Ella Bachrach from Smithers Secondary School, Smithers, B.C.
• Manouan Arabel Boissonnault Émond from École Secondaire Publique de la Salle, Ottawa
• Mikella Boulanger from Cégep de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Que.
• Sophie Cameron-King from École Secondaire Publique de la Salle, Ottawa
• Jamie He from University Transition Program, Vancouver
• Sophie Lafrenière from Cégep de Lévis-lauzon, Lévis, Que.
• Aqil Melchoir from Westminster Secondary School, London, Ont.
• Moineau Shin Binon from University of Toronto Schools, Toronto
• Justine Rory Ramos from Maples Collegiate, Winnipeg
• Vivian Sun from A.Y. Jackson Secondary School, North York, Ont.
• Angelina Yeung from Crofton House School, Vancouver
• Lang Yue from Collège Jean-Eudes, Montreal

Last year's Poetry in Voice winners were Stephanie Omorotionmwan, Nadine Berdous and Camille Racicot.