On April 17, the Edmonton Poetry Festival is coming again to Zocalo. We are having a contest for writers who live in and/or write about the inner city. First prize will be $100. Prizes for second and third place will be announced at a later date.

We’re calling this year’s event Inner City Drum Beats. Organizers Leif Gregersen, Gary Garrison, and David Prodan are carrying forward the momentum of last year’s Gettin’ Gritty, Inner City, the first time the Edmonton Poetry Festival held an event in McCauley. That was one of six Bring Your Own Venue events for the festival. Two of Edmonton’s former Poet Laureates participated, and several other guest poets and musicians performed. At the end of the evening, we announced the three contest winners and invited them to read their pieces to the audience.

Last year’s event was the culmination of several months of drop-in poetry workshops, a social media campaign, and a very successful poetry contest. Last summer, we published a chapbook that included the winning poems, a selection from the other submissions, and work by the guest poets. The Gettin’ Gritty, Inner City chapbook has been distributed free of charge at various locales in McCauley and Boyle Street. This year, we are repeating much of last year’s successful formula. Stay tuned to Boyle McCauley News and our soon-to-be-unveiled Facebook page for further details (you can find the page by searching Facebook for Inner City Drum Beats).

But, start writing now and mark your calendars for Sunday, April 17, 5-8 p.m. at Zocalo.

Submission Guidelines

• Poems, song lyrics, or prose poems must be 300 words or less.
• Submissions must be unpublished, original work.
• The piece must be about the inner city or by an inner city resident.
• Submissions must be received by 12:01 a.m., Monday, April 4.
• All submissions will be considered for inclusion in a poetry chapbook to be published this summer.

Email your submissions to mccauleywritersatlas@gmail.com or mail to: McCauley Writers Atlas,
C/O McCauley Apartments, B08, 9541 108A Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T5H 4G8

For more information, call (780) 424-2870, or email mccauleywritersatlas@gmail.com.