To commemorate National Poetry Month this April, we’ve curated a short and (at times bitter)sweet list of BC poetry books that allow us to connect deeper to ourselves and to one another. With words that speak to the beauty, revelations, troubles, and losses we experience in the varied stages of our years, we come to know our selves better with each page. This list is an homage to what poetry does best: examines our ways of being, sharpens our emotional experiences, and enlivens our sensory capabilities.
These titles explore identity, language, and self-growth, and document how our bodies move through these changes. From memorialized mothers in verse, poems weathered by the wilderness, and the journeys of a woman entering a new season of her life, to lyrical, laughable, soothing verse that lifts young hearts, there is a collection for everyone.
To dive in head first
SUBTEXT by Nicole Raziya Fong (Talonbooks)
SUBTEXT refracts the language of identity formation. It collages the echoes of diasporic and colonial histories through poetry, drama, autobiography, and archival uncovering.
Available April 28
The Fifth Season by Cori Howard (Caitlin Press)
In The Fifth Season, award-winning journalist, essayist and poet Cori Howard explores the seasons of a woman’s life, from marriage and motherhood to divorce, what she aptly names “disaster dating” and reinvention.
Out now
Pearl by George Bowering (Talonbooks)
Pearl centres around a promise Bowering made to himself that one day he would write a poem about his mother, Pearl Bowering – a hillbilly, athlete, and champion bridge player. This promised poem anchors a book about the grit of life and what poetry can make from it.
Out now
hiking beyond by bronwyn preece (Caitlin Press)
Written wearing muddy boots, in wet tents and with frozen fingers, bronwyn preece’s hiking beyond is a collection steeped in the messiness of being alive. With reverence for geology, ornithology, botany, history and all that resists easy categorization, preece captures the soundbites, questions and quiet revelations of solo, backcountry travel.
Coming soon
To hold young hearts
Language Is a Garden by E.G. Alaraj, illustrated by Rachel Wad (Orca Books)
In this picture book, with a story told in rhyming verse, a parent tells their child about their heritage language and all that it represents, from ancient knowledge and medicines to exploration of the cosmos, and how by sharing this language, their hearts will be connected always.
Out now
If I Had a Million Onions by Sheree Fitch illustrated by Yayo (Tradewind Books)
This collection will tickle the funny-bones of children and adults alike. Yayo’s delightful illustrations perfectly match the whimsy of these capricious poems.
Out now
Remember Who You Are by Leona Prince and Gabrielle Prince, illustrated by Sara General (Orca Books)
This empowering picture book celebrates Indigenous heritage and promotes cultural pride, serving as an educational tool and fostering an understanding and respect for Indigenous communities. The book’s positive affirmations encourage self-confidence and recognition of one’s potential, and diverse illustrations ensure that all readers can see themselves reflected in its pages. Also available in a bilingual Plains Cree/English edition and in French.
Out now