Poetry Competition

Poets Pause in Whistler, photo by Oisin McHugh
Poet’s Pause, photo by Oisin McHugh

Annually the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) invites writers to submit original, unpublished poems for the Poet’s Pause poetry competition.

The poems are displayed at the two Poet’s Pause sculpture sites in Alta Lake Park: the large metal chimes art piece titled “Lost in Sound” at the north part of the park and the giant Adirondack chairs titled “Lakeside Couple” at the south end of the park. The poems are inspired by the sculpture sites or by Whistler.

Poet’s Pause is part of a public art concept created by the late Joan Baron, an artist who developed the two Alta Lake Park sculpture sites with the intention of inspiring creativity. 

Enter the 2024 Poet’s Pause Poetry Competition

Seasoned and amateur writers of all ages are once again invited to contribute to public art in Whistler through the Poet’s Pause Poetry Competition, with submissions welcome from Thursday, February 15.

We invite poets to submit original, unpublished works for the annual competition. The two winning poems will be displayed at the Poet’s Pause sculpture sites in Alta Lake Park: one at the large metal chimes titled “Lost in Sound” located in the north part of the park, and the other at the giant Adirondack chairs titled “Lakeside Couple” in the south end of the park.  

The two winning poets will each receive a prize of C$250 and will have their work read at a Council Meeting in April as part of National Poetry Month.  

The public can submit poems for one or both display sites. Poems should respond to the themes of the two sculpture sites: the theme for the large metal chimes is “Listening,” and the theme for the giant Adirondack chairs is “Togetherness.” Poems can be of any type and format but must be no longer than 240 words.  

The deadline for submissions is Thursday, March 14, 2024, at 3 p.m. PDT. 

To submit a poem, email communications@whistler.ca. 

For more information: 2024 Poet’s Pause Poetry Competition Terms of Reference

2023 Poet’s Pause Poetry Competition

The 2023 Poets Pause poetry competition is now complete.

Listening Theme: Congratulations to Georgia Butler with her poem “Pause, Hear, Listen, Love

Togetherness Theme: Congratulations to Jessica Beth Brown with her poem “Companion Planting

Contact

communications@whistler.ca