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For the Lilian I. Found award, one prize will be awarded for the best unpublished poem of 50 lines or less by an undergraduate student currently enrolled at Carleton.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For the George Johnston Awards, three prizes are awarded annually, along with two honourable mentions, for the best unpublished poem (up to 5 poems may be submitted, not to exceed 250 lines) submitted by full or part-time students currently enrolled at Carleton. The late George Johnston, was a distinguished Canadian poet, professor, and founding member of the English Department at Carleton. His colleagues originally established this prize in his honour in 1992.
Submission of up to 5 poems (not exceeding 250 lines in total). Student names should not appear on the pages with poems. Poems should be titled on each manuscript page.
Eligibility
- Lilian I. Found Prize: full or part-time undergraduate student, currently enrolled at Carleton
- George Johnston Prizes: full or part-time students, currently enrolled at Carleton University
2025 Competition Judge
This year’s competition will be adjudicated by Nina Berkhout, author of several poetry collections, including Elseworlds, which won the Archibald Lampman Award. Her poems have been featured in publications across Canada, including the Best Canadian Poetry anthology. Her sixth collection, The Great Wake, will be released this spring. She also conducts poetry workshops in long-term care as a volunteer with the City of Ottawa.