May/June 2003
Vol. 35, no. 3
ISSN 1492-4676

A Poetic Afternoon at the L&AC

Trevor Clayton, Communications

World Poetry Day received a warm reception at the Library and Archives of Canada (L&AC) on Friday, March 21, featuring poetry readings by National Librarian Roch Carrier and Canada’s Poet Laureate George Bowering, among others.

Two-dozen students from Ridgemont High School joined staff of the L&AC and poetry-loving members of the public at the afternoon ceremony in the main lobby.

Fiona Wright, a Grade 11 student at Canterbury High School and a student of the Literary Arts program for the past two years, read two of her own compositions, Fruitful and Diner pour trois. Fiona was recently awarded first prize in the short story category of a high school writing competition sponsored by Carleton University.

Several of those who read chose poems with themes that cleverly corresponded with the institution they represented. Sheldon Posen, a folklorist at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, gave an energetic rendition of Robert Service’s epic poem of the north The Cremation of Sam McGee; Aviation Museum head Chris Terry recited John Magee Jr.’s rousing work High Flight; and Daniel Glenney, of the Canadian War Museum, recited John McCrae’s enduring poem In Flanders Fields.

Mr. Carrier recited Le romance du vin, composed by Émile Nelligan, and Mr. Bowering read his tribute to celebrated Canadian poet Phyllis Webb.

Also sharing their choice of poetic works were Roy Miki and Robert Dickson, 2002 laureates for the Governor General Literary Award for poetry, Jack Horwitz, National Film Board of Canada, Charles Dalfen, Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission, Monty Reid, Canadian Museum of Nature, Norman Moyer, Canadian Heritage, and Library and Archives of Canada staff members Stéphane Jean, Mijin Kim, Pauline Portelance and Randall Ware.