Submissions for the 2026 Diana Brebner Prize are open until September 1!
Attention Ottawa writers who haven't published a full-length book of poetry!
The Diana Brebner Prize is awarded yearly for the best poem written by a National Capital Region poet, who has not yet been published in book form. The prize honours the late Diana Brebner, an award-winning Ottawa-based poet who was devoted to fostering literary talent among new, local writers.
This year's judge is Tawahum Bige, who will select the winning poem from eligible submissions received before the September 1 deadline.
Tawahum is a Łutselkʼe Dene, Métis and Nehiyaw spoken word poet from unceded Musqueam, Squamish & Tsleil-Waututh Territory (CKA Vancouver). Queer as heck in obvious ways, they desire a world where acceptance rises while corruption collapses. With a BA in Creative Writing from KPU, Tawahum has performed poetry and hip-hop at countless festivals, their poems featured in numerous publications. His land protection work versus Trans Mountain pipeline expansion had him face incarceration in 2020. Cut to Fortress was published by Nightwood Editions in 2022 and their new collection, Stages of Tanning Words and Remembering Spells, arrived April 2025. Find them online @Tawahum on most social media platforms.
With a $35 entry fee, you can submit one or two poems and receive a 1-year subscription to Arc Poetry Magazine.
Rules
- Eligible entries must not exceed 35 lines per poem (including spaces).
- No simultaneous submissions or previously published poems will be accepted.
- Entrant’s name, address, e-mail and phone number must not appear in the files with the poems.
Don't miss this opportunity to share your work! Details here: https://buff.ly/2bnlsdc