Facilitator Ben Ladouceur guides beginning and emerging participants through writing prompts inspired by some of the best contemporary queer and ally poets. Whether you write poetry all the time or haven't touched it for many years - if you want to explore and create poetry in a safe and productive space, you will find this workshop worthwhile. You will walk away with three or four new poems in your notebook, to continue working on at your own pace. All participants who complete the workshop will be invited to read their new work (if they want to - no pressure!) at a reading on August 20, alongside authors Kimberly Quiogue Andrews, Kevin Shaw and Sanita Fejzić. This event will be hosted by Ben Ladouceur and introduced by Ottawa EN-language Poet Laureate David O'Meara.
Ben Ladouceur is an author living on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe Nation (Ottawa). His first book, Otter, was selected as a best book of 2015 by the National Post, nominated for a Lambda Literary Award, and awarded the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award; his second book, Mad Long Emotion, was awarded the Archibald Lampman Prize. He is the recipient of the Writers’ Trust Dayne Ogilvie Prize for emerging LGBT+ writers, and a National Magazine Award for Poetry. His short fiction has been featured in the Journey Prize Anthology and awarded the Thomas Morton Prize. His debut novel, I Remember Lights, was published by Book*hug Press in April 2025.