Please browse here for more information about our annual poetry competitions and literary showcases, news surrounding Creative Writing within the department and beyond, and a variety of upcoming events. For more information on the Creative Writing Concentration, please click here.
Recent program graduate and current Master’s student Maya Chorney discusses why she chose Carleton’s English program and its Creative Writing Concentration. Known for supportive and collegial writing workshops, a close-knit student and faculty community, and opportunities to build a polished writing portfolio in multiple genres, the Creative Writing Concentration has enabled Maya to hone her skills as a budding novelist.
Annual Creative Writing Competitions
| Sumac Literary Magazine | |
| Sumac Literary Magazine publishes work by people connected to Carleton University and/or the land it is on. Students, alumni, faculty, staff, community members, and anyone with links to our campus or community are welcome to submit their work for consideration. If you walk your dog along the waterfront, drive past the Carleton sign each morning, once applied to Carleton, or ever attended a Ravens vs Gee-Gees event (for example), your submissions are welcome. | |
| Annual Poetry Competitions | |
| Lilian I. Found Award for Poetry For the Lilian I. Found award, one prize will be awarded for the best unpublished poem of 50 lines or less by an undergraduate student currently enrolled at Carleton. The donor is the late Mrs. Lilian. I. Found, who endowed the Award in 1950, and was the convener of the Ottawa Poetry Group and Canadian Poetry Contest in the 1940s. |
George Johnston Poetry Awards For the George Johnston Awards, three prizes are awarded annually, along with two honourable mentions, for the best unpublished poem (up to 5 poems may be submitted, not to exceed 250 lines) submitted by full or part-time students currently enrolled at Carleton. |
| Literary Arts Showcase Competitions (Any Genre) | |
| Every year, the Department of English hosts two events designed to showcase the depth of our students’ writing and performance talents. Submissions can be in any genre (poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, spoken word, etc.) and must be no longer than 5-6 minutes when read aloud. Any student who is or was registered in an English course during the academic year is welcome to make a submission. | |
Other Publishing Opportunities
Are you interested in getting your work published outside of Carleton? Please click here for a list of literary journals that has been compiled by the Department of English. This list is updated and refreshed frequently.
