My goal, writes guest editor John Barton of his long career as a literary magazine editor, was always to be jostled awake, and I soon realized that I was being jostled awake for twomyself and the reader I came to understand that my job description included an obligation to expose readers to wide varieties of poetry, to challenge their assumptions while expanding their taste. In selecting this years edition of Best Canadian Poetry, Barton brings the same catholic spirit to his survey of Canadian poems published by magazines and journals in 2021. From new work by Canadian favourites to exciting new talents, this years anthology offers fifty poems to challenge and enlarge your sense of the power and possibility of Canadian poetry.

Featuring:

Leslie Joy Ahenda Billy-Ray Belcourt Bertrand Bickersteth Tawahum Bige Stephanie Bolster Susan Braley Moni Brar Jake Byrne Helen Cho Conyer Clayton Lucas Crawford Sophie Crocker Michael Dunwoody Evelyna Ekoko-Kay Tyler Engstrm Triny Finlay Elee Kraljii Gardiner Lise Gaston Susan Gillis Beth Goobie Patrick Grace Laurie D. Graham River Halen Eva H.D. Louise Bernice HalfeSkydancer Sarah Hilton Karl Jirgens Moblwajdde D. Joseph Penn Kemp Jeremy Loveday Randy Lundy Helen Han Wei Luo Colin Morton Jordan Mounteer Samantha Nock Kathryn Nogue Michelle Porter Rebekah Rempel Armand Garnet Ruffo Richard Sanger Nedda Sarshar K.R. Segriff Christina Shah Sandy Shreve Adrian Southin J.J. Steinfeld Sarah Yi-Mei Tsiang Eric Wang Tom Wayman Jan Zwicky