Election Outcome in Serious Doubt: 47 Poems Vie for Top Honours
Edmonton—Edmonton’s first Favourite Poem Election kicked off today with a record 47 nominations vying for the big prize: special honours and a public reading at the Poetry Festival’s closing Gala on Saturday, September 22. Edmontonians are able to vote anytime between Monday, September 17 and noon on the 22nd at any branch of the public library or on the library’s website or vote online from the list below.
The complete list of nominees is on both those websites and will be posted next week in libraries across the city. The Festival itself opens at noon on the 17th at City Hall. A complete schedule of Festival events is available on the Festival’s website.
Chief Election Officer Gary Garrison reports that several poems were nominated more than once, with Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky” leading the pack, followed by Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”, “Fern Hill” by Dylan Thomas, T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”, and “I Never Thought I’d Write a Hockey Poem”, by Edmonton’s own Alice Major.
“For a first election, the number of nominations is impressive, especially considering that a civic election is coming up in another month. This poetry election caught most people by surprise. I expect that in future years the competition will be even more intense, as Edmontonians get more convinced of the importance of poetry in their lives,” Garrison pointed out.
When consulted for comments on their chances in the upcoming vote, the
poems themselves had this to say. Hockey: It’s “the kind
of world where anything might happen.” Raven: “My hopes
have flown before.” Prufrock: “Do I dare disturb the universe?” Fern: “Honoured
among wagons I was prince of the apple towns.”
Jabberwocky: “O frabjous day! Callooh, Callay!”
Garrison noted that despite these five poems’ enthusiasm, their multiple nominations do not give them an advantage in the election itself. “All 47 poems have the same chances of winning, if their supporters come out to vote. In fact, since this election encourages write-ins, all poems ever written are theoretically tied for first place. I urge everyone in Edmonton who cares about poetry to read and share poetry with others and to attend as much of the Poetry Festival as they can. And, of course, to vote.”
For further information contact: Gary Garrison at 328-4370 or 908-6292
To vote select one of the nominees below and then click on the Vote button, OR vist the EPL's website to vote for a write-in candidate not on the list.
Nominees for Favourite Poem Election
When you submit your vote you will be whisked off to the Edmonton Public Library website. Please use your back button to return to the Edmonton Poetry Festival's website.
