Enchanted April: A tapestry of local voices at free poetry reading

Afree poetry reading, “Enchanted April,” featuring poets from across the Townships will take place April 21 from 2 – 4 p.m. at Uplands Cultural & Heritage Centre. The Townships Sun, Uplands Cultural & Heritage Centre, Quebec Writers’ Federation, Lennoxville Library, and Write Here, Write Now cosponsor this event in celebration of National Poetry Month.

“It’s a collaborative reading,” explained local Write Here, Write Now Coordinator Jan Draper in an April 16 interview with The Record. Readers will hail from Maple Leaf to Bromont. “We really are covering most of the Eastern Townships,” Draper said.

“Rest assured, it won’t be boring,” Draper insisted. She emphasized the event will “move along quite quickly.” Readers will only have two minutes to present and there will be no pauses between readings. A question-and-answer period will be held in the middle of the event and tea and treats will be available before and after.

The poets will select pieces of their own work that cover a wide range of topics and formats. “There will be everything from haiku to longer lyric poems,” Draper said. Some poems will be more traditional, some free verse with little punctuation.

Draper said some people consider poetry to be something they cannot relate to or understand, but that is not the way it is. “Poetry is accessible to everyone,” she said.

Featured poets will include Tanya Bellehumeur-allatt, who writes for children, adults, and everyone inbetween, covering genres such as poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction. Thistledown Press published her critically acclaimed Middle East memoir, “Peacekeeper’s Daughter,” in September 2021. Her debut poetry collection, “Chaos Theories of Goodness,” was released by Shoreline Press in June 2022.

Angela Leuck runs and owns Shoreline Press, which is based in Coaticook, and will also be reading. Leuck has published many books of poetry and haiku.

Also reading will be Steve Luxton, born in Coventry, England, in 1946. He now resides near Ayer’s Cliff. He taught English Literature at John

Abbott College and Creative Writing at Concordia University.

Rachel Garber, editor of the Townships Sun, and Rebecca Welton, editor of Flash Reads, will also participate. Draper said Welton’s son and daughter write haiku every day and will attend the event.

Lori Schubert, the executive director of the Quebec Writers’ Federation, will attend. The event marks the first time Schubert will visit the area in her capacity as executive director. Draper said Schubert hopes more people in the Townships will become members of the Quebec Writer’s Federation.

Write Here, Write Now has been offering free writing workshops online since 2016.

Those who wish to attend should RSVP here: Townshipssunrsvp@gmail.com