Your ultimate Canadian poetry list: 68 poetry collections recommended by you

We asked, you answered! Here is a round-up of YOUR favourite Canadian poetry collections.

1.Eating Fire by Margaret Atwood

What it's about: Canadian icon Margaret Atwood is known for her works of fiction such as Alias Grace and The Handmaid's Tale, but she's also an accomplished poet. Her first major collection, The Circle Game, won the Governor General's Literary Award for poetry in 1966.Eating Fire collects two decades of Atwood's early poetry from 1965 to 1986.

Recommended by:@wayanandtheturtleking

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2. Unsettled by Zachariah Wells

What it's about: First published in 2004, Unsettled explores the Canadian north and how our national identity and mythology is shaped by it. His other collections includeCareer Limiting Moves andSum.

Recommended by:@IrishCanadian2

3. As if a Raven byYvonne Blomer

What it's about: Yvonne Blomer, the current poet laureate for Victoria, B.C., explores the connection between birds and language in As if a Raven: how language controls them, how language documents them and how language mythologizes them.

Recommended by: Kerry Gilbert

4.Alma by Georgette LeBlanc

What it's about:GeorgetteLeBlancis the current parliamentary poet laureate of Canada. Alma is a collection of poems that follows a single woman, and the people she comes across in her day-to-day life, living in a small Acadian village during the great Depression and the Second World War.

Recommended by: Pascale Salvatore

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5.Hologramby P.K. Page

What it's about: P.K. Page was an influential Canadian poet and artist who published more than 30 books including poetry, essays and fiction before she died in 2010. Hologram, her 1994 collection, takes an early Renaissance form, the glosa, and reinvents it for the modern era. The critically acclaimed collection is comprised of 14 poems, each of which pays homage to a different poet.

Recommended by:Barbara Pelman

6. For Your Safety Please Hold On byKayla Czaga

What it's about:ForYour Safety Please Hold On is B.C.poet Kayla Czaga's debut collection. It won the 2015Gerald Lampert Award and was shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award for poetry. The playful yet fearlesscollectionexplores the transition from a girl into a young woman.

Recommended by: Kerry Gilbert

7.This Beingby Ingrid Ruthig

What it's about: This Being, Ingrid Ruthig's2016 debut collection, exploresour connection to land, each other and questions how and why we strive to find meaning in our lives.

Recommended by: Andersen H &@CanadianPoets

8.Dark Harbor by Mark Strand

What it's about: Mark Strand is a Canadian-American poet and essayist who won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1999 for his collection Blizzard of One. Dark Harbor, which came out in 1993, is a long poem that explores the divide between imagination and reality, the known and the unknown, isolation and togetherness the contradictions that combine to create a life.

Recommended by:Bob Morouney

• RememberingPulitzer poetry winner Mark Strand

9. A Red Carpet for the Sunby Irving Layton

What it's about:First published in 1958, A Red Carpet for the Sunwon the Governor General's Literary Award for poetry or drama. Layton, who died in 2006, was one of Canada's most iconic and influential poets. He didn't start publishing until his 30s, but went on to release more than 30 collections. Laytonwas appointed tothe Order of Canada in 1976.

Recommended by: Russell Thornton

10. Heaven's Thieves by Sue Sinclair

What it's about: Heaven's Thieves, Sue Sinclair's fifth collection of poetry, questions the purpose of our physical being and how our bodies connect us to the ecology around us.Heaven's Thieveswon the League of Canadians Poets'Pat Lowther Award, which recognizes a collection written by a Canadian woman,in 2017.

Recommended by: @CanadianPoets

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11.Ghost Works by Daphne Marlatt

What it's about:Daphne Marlatt is a B.C.-based poet and novelist who was made a member of the Order of Canada in 2006. Ghost Works, which was published in 1993, is a collection of poems, travel essays, journal writings and letters which combine to tell a single story about what home and place mean to one woman.

Recommended by: @mattroyparker

12.The Tzaddik and Other Poemsby Per K.Brask

What it's about:The Tzaddik and Other Poems is a collection of 32 poems that deals with Per K. Brask's experience of Judaism. Braskis a professor at the University of Winnipeg, where he teaches theatre and film. His co-translation of Ulrikka S. Gernes's collectionFrayed Opus for Strings & Wind Instruments was a finalist for the 2016 Griffin Poetry Prize.

Recommended by:Morri Mostow

13.Burning in this Midnight Dream by Louise Bernice Halfe

What it's about:Louise Bernice Halfeis an award-winningCree poet from Two Hills, Alta. In 2017, Halfewon theLatner Writers' Trust Poetry Prize, which is given to amid-career poet with a remarkable body of work. Her collection Burning in this Midnight Dreamis inspired by the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission andexplores the traumatic legacy of residential schools.

Recommended by:@CanadianPoets

• Louise Bernice Halfe on the difference between poetry and prose

14. Geographies of a Lover by Sarah de Leeuw

What it's about: Sarah de Leeuw is a researcher who writes essays, poetry and creative nonfiction. Geographies of a Lover uses the Canadian landscape to explore love, sex and longing.In 2013,the collection won theDorothy Livesay Poetry Prize, which recognizes the best book of poetry by a British Columbian author.

Recommended by: Kerry Gilbert

15. Wontby Carla Coles

What it's about:CarlaColesis an Ontario-based artist and writer who has released three poetry collections:Pore,ZarfandWont. Wont, which came out in 2017, is described to be an "oddly specific collection of poems for a tiny niche audience."

Recommended by:@alice_oconnor

16.The Golden Book of Bovinities by Robert Moore

What it's about:Robert Moore is a Canadian poet, actor and playwright who has written four collections of poetry. His latest is 2012'sThe Golden Book of Bovinities, which is a humorous exploration of all things bovine, but is also a surprising meditation on how we treat animals and each other.

Recommended by:@ricks_enablersmusic

17.Mogul Recollected by Richard Outram

What it's about: Richard Outramwas an Ontario-based poet who penned 11 collections. Mogul Recollected, which came out in 1993,is a collection of poems inspired by the drowning of an elephant off the coast of New Brunswick. Outram died in 2005.

Recommended by: Ariel Eden

18.What the Soul Doesn't Want by Lorna Crozier

What it's about: Lorna Crozier is a Canadian poet who has written more than a dozen books and was appointedto the Order of Canada in 2011. What the SoulDoesn't Want is her most recent collection.It came out in 2017 and was a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award for poetry.

Recommended by:@colleenbabie

• Lorna Crozier on why she writes with the door closed

19.Breathing at Dusk by Beth Goobie

What it's about:Breathing at Dusk is an autobiographical poetry collection inspired by Goobie's painful memories of childhood abuse and her process of healing. Breathing atDusk won the 2018 Saskatchewan Arts Board Book Award. Goobie, who currently lives in Saskatoon, haswritten poetry, fictionand books for young adults.

Recommended by:@colleenbabie

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20.A Really Good Brown Girl byMarilyn Dumont

What it's about: Marilyn Dumont is a poet of Cree/Mtis descent who has written three poetry collections. A Really Good Brown Girl, her first, wonthe 1997 Gerald Lampert Memorial Award, which recognizes a debut poetry collection by a Canadian writer. A Really Good Brown Girlis about Dumont coming to understand and embrace herMtis heritage.

Recommended by: Ariel Eden &@jonina_kirton

• Marilyn Dumont on connecting to her Mtis heritage through poetry

21.Liar by Lynn Crosbie

What it's about: Lynn Crosbie is a writer who has written more than one dozen works, ranging from memoir to poetry to fiction. Liar is her 2006 book-length poem that explores a seven-year relationship and its difficult, untimely end.

Recommended by:@amberdawnpullin

• Lynn Crosbie on literary doppelgangers and the Stepford curse

22. Blood Orange by Heidi Garnett

What it's about: Blood Orange explores human resilience and our need to have a "home." The 2016 collection explores the concept of home, homelessnessand how memory and identity are connected to what we think of as home. Heidi Garnett is the author of two collections, her other one is titledPhosphorus.

Recommended by: Kerry Gilbert

23.The Cariboo Horses by Al Purdy

What it's about:The Cariboo Horses, which won the 1965 Governor General's Literary Award for poetry, is one of many poetry collections from legendary Canadian poet Al Purdy. Known as Canada's "unofficial poet laureate," Purdy wrote 39 books, including poetry, one novel, two memoirs and four collections of letters. Purdy, who died in 2000, was appointedto the Order of Canada in 1982.

Recommended by:@vtverma

• Al Purdy: An uncommon poet

24. Love Medicine and One Song by Gregory Scofield

What it's about: Gregory Scofieldis a Mtispoet and author. He was the 2016 recipient of the Latner Writers' Trust Poetry Prize, a $25,000 award given to an accomplished mid-career poet.His 2009 collection, Love Medicine and One Song, blends the Cree language with the Canadian landscape and erotic imagery.

Recommended by:@jonina_kirton

• Gregory Scofield on poetry as testimony

25.Muybridge's Horse by Rob Winger

What it's about:Muybridge's Horse is a semi-biographical book-length poem about19th-century British-born photographerEadweard Muybridge. Muybridge's research helped with the invention of moving pictures.Muybridge'sHorsewasshortlistedfor the 2007 Governor General's Literary Award for poetry.

Recommended by:@i.like.thursdays

26.Flint and Feather by E. Pauline Johnson

What it's about:E. Pauline Johnson was a Mohawk poet and performer, famous during the 19th century. A prolific writer, her works includeCanadian Born,The Moccasin MakerandFlint and Feather.Originally published in 1912,Flint and Feathercollects Johnson's poems together.

Recommended by:@ycginyeg&Dave Moyer

• Mohawk poet Pauline Johnson's historic home tells a story of duality

27.The Red Files by Lisa Bird-Wilson

What it's about:Drawing on archival records and family photographs, Lisa Bird-Wilson writes poignant, heart-rending poetry about the generations of abuse suffered by Indigenous children in the Canadian residential school system inThe Red Files. The Red Files, Bird-Wilson's debut collection, is named after the federal government files on residential schools.

Recommended by: @jonina_kirton

• Lisa Bird-Wilson on the role of art in reconciliation

28.questions I asked my motherbyDi Brandt

What it's about:Di Brandt is the first ever poet laureate of Winnipeg. Her poetry collection questions I asked my motherexplores Brandt's Mennonite heritage and was shortlisted for the 1987 Governor General's Literary Award for poetry.

Recommended by: Ariel Eden

• Winnipeg's first poet laureate wants to remind people poetry is for everyone

29.Country Club by Andy McGuire

What it's about: Country Club is Andy McGuire's debut poetry collection, and it explores the nature of wealth, leisure and power, and how the three interconnect and influence each other and the world at large.

Recommended by:@the_village_bookshop

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30. Bloodroot by Betsy Warland

What it's about:Betsy Warland is a feminist writer who writes poetry, creative nonfiction and fiction. Bloodroot, her 2010 collection, is about Warland'sexperience watching her mother age and eventually die while she reflects on their relationship.

Recommended by: @jonina_kirton

31. Cantilevered Songs by John Lent

What it's about: John Lent is the author of 10 books, including the 2009 poetry collection Cantilevered Songs. Lent is known for his energetic writing and innovative use of structure in his poetry.

Recommended by: Kerry Gilbert

32.I am aWorld of Uncertainties Disguised as aGirl by Nicole Lyons

What it's about:Nicole Lyons is aB.C.-based author of two poetry collections, Hush andI am aWorld of Uncertainties Disguised as aGirl.The collection explores the relationship between love, creativity and mental health and questions what it means to have your heart broken.

Recommended by:@melissa.m.marie, @thewarandthebody,s.l._heaton, @slwriting, @kristin_kory, @darrenlelond, @the_poetrybandit, @alfa.poet, @breath_words_, @n.r.hart, @thesarahdoughty,Christine Ray,Erich Michaels, Scott Atherton, Amanda Coleman, Dena Daigle, Gina Thomas, William Broms,Nausicaa Twila, Debbie Peters, Ghost Crush Poetry, Alfa Holden, @KittOMalley, @doriowen&@banishedcougar

33. The Selected Gwendolyn MacEwenedited byMeaghan Strimas

What it's about:Gwedolyn MacEwen was one of Canada'smost influential writers. Thepoet, storyteller, translator and dramatist, who died in 1987, won theGovernor General's Literary Award for poetry in1969 forThe Shadow Maker and won the same awardposthumously in1987forAfterworlds. The Selected GwendolynMacEwen brings together McEwen'sbest and most interesting work.

Recommended by:@sosaysnancy

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34.Sight at Zeroby Allison Grayhurst

What it's about:Sight at Zerocollects 30 years' worth of poems from Toronto-based poet and artist Allison Grayhurst.

Recommended by:Diane Barbarash

35.Coke Machine Glow by GordDownie

What it's about: Coke Machine Glow is the 2001poetry collection from Tragically Hip frontman GordDownie. The collection was published as a companion to Downie's first solo album.The Tragically Hipsold more than eightmillion albums and won 16 Juno Awards over their storied career playing songs about Canada. Downie died in 2017.

Recommended by: @nicolelyonspoetry, @dpontefract&@LithChronicles

• Remembering Gord Downie

36.Braided Skin by Chelene Knight

What it's about:Chelene Knight's 2015 poetry collection Braided Skin examines race, poverty and dreams. Knight, a Vancouver-based writer, is also the author ofDear Current Occupant, a mix of poetry and prose about growing upin Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

Recommended by:@jonina_kirton

• Why Chelene Knight wrote letters to the current occupants of the houses she lived in growing up

37. Pluck by Laisha Rosnau

What it's about:Laisha Rosnau's Pluck collects poems addressing female sexuality in the 21st century. Rosnau is based in British Columbia and has written six collections of poetry. Pluck came out in 2014 and was nominated for the League of Canadian Poets' Raymond Souster Award.

Recommended by: Kerry Gilbert

38.Home byNausicaa Twila

What it's about:Nausicaa Twila is a popular Instagram poet, with more than 23,000 followers on her account @NausicaaTwila. Home explores the meaning of what makes a home, in both the physical and spiritual sense.

Recommended by:@nicolelyonspoetry, @the_poetrybandit, @diyonce_life, @musingsofadistractedmind, @flutter.my.shutter, @rising.moon.rose, @n.r.hart, @nikki.in.wanderland, Nicole Lyons, Dena Daigle, Gypsy Mercer, Renee Furlow, Pennie Williams, Lindsay May, Penny Fullerton, Dawn Holliday, Ken Brumfield, GiorgioTanco&Bala Ramya Rohini

39.milk & honey by Rupi Kaur

What it's about:milk & honey, Rupi Kaur's debut poetry collection,has sold almost two million copies worldwide. The collection, based on Kaur's popular Instagram account, explores growing up, coming of age, love, violence, longing, betrayal and forgiveness.

Recommended by:GiorgioTanco

• How Rupi Kaur pushed through writer's block to create her second collection of poems

40.Secular Love by Michael Ondaatje

What it's about:Michael Ondaatje is the acclaimed Canadian author of novels such as The English Patient, In the Skin of a Lion and Anil'sGhost. Ondaatje is also the author of more than a dozen poetry booksand won the Governor General's Literary Award for poetry in 1970 forThe Collected Works of Billy the Kid. Secular Love, his 1985 collection, is a wide-ranging and diverse collection that highlights why Ondaatje is one of Canada's most beloved writers.

Recommended by: Ruth Seeley

• How Canada made Michael Ondaatje a writer

41.Discovery Passages by Garry Thomas Morse

What it's about:Garry Thomas Morse is a Canadian poet and novelist who has been nominated for theGovernor General's LiteraryAward for English-language poetry, twice: in 2011 for Discovery Passages and in 2016 for Prairie Harbour. Discovery Passages is about reclaiming and reconnecting to Morse's ancestral landsby exploringboth written and oral history.

Recommended by: Karen Charleson&@karyn_wiss

42.Feast by Broms the Poet

What it's about: Broms the Poet is a Winnipeg-based TV host turned popular Instagram poet, with over 50,000 followers. Feast collects Brom's best work, which is inspired by his own life experiences.

Recommended by: @s.l._heaton, @catross, @mr.snicklebits, @richardkjross, @hellojessiejane, @peta.bread, @a.c.sparks, @the_muse_beautiful, @gnah_boreal, @stephanieross77, @alfa.poet, @emilio.valdez1, @hellokatycollins, @strickleykarla, @hulse27, @rachel.morris.9212, @the_poetrybandit, @julielwatt, @dr_bang_bang, @theladyeclectic, @n.r.hart,Jared Wheller,Maria Costantino,Reign sovergein, Nicole Lyons, Chinos Reyes, Cralla Romero, Sophie Pullan,Can Altkarde, Aidan Ross, Ray Strachan,Sverine Garnier, Trina Belanger, Phoebe Man, Lisa Caronte, Jen Willits, Conny Kavela, Chris Miller, Kathy Miller, Tanya Puffault, Shawn Chamberlain, Anita Sharma Turner, Penny Schoonbaert, Jim Bromley, Stephen Crooks, Alfa Holden,Jeff Bjarnarson&@kissykatt84

43.My Sober Little Moon by Jon Lupin

What it's about: Jon Lupin, also known asThe Poetry Bandit, turned to poetry to help him get sober in 2015. My Sober Little Moon is his debut collection, and it compiles his work during his journey towardssobriety.

Recommended by: @s.l._heaton, @alfa.poet, @nausicaatwila, @typewriterslinger, @anthonydesmondpoetry, @broms.the.poet, @afallenangel117, @n.r.hart, @thesarahdoughty, Nicole Lyons,Nausicaa Twila&Alfa Holden

44.even this page is white by VivekShraya

What it's about:What does it mean to go through the world as a person of colour? Vivek Shraya'sdebut poetry collection, even this page is white, explores this question and tackles the racism Shraya and other people of colour experience every day.

Recommended by: Ty Lyonne& Trisha Yeo

• How Vivek Shraya turned lived racism into poetry

45. children of air india by Rene Sarojini Saklikar

What it's about:children of air india is a 2013 poetry collection byRene Sarojini Saklikar inspired by thethe bombing ofAir India Flight 182in 1985. The collectionwon the Canadian Authors Association Poetry Prize and was shortlisted for the Dorothy Livesay Prize.

Recommended by: Kerry Gilbert

46.The Weight of Dreams by Jeevan Bhagwat

What it's about:Jeevan Bhagwatis a Scarborough, Ont.-based poet. His debut collection, 2012's The Weight of Dreams, explores dreams why we dream, how we dream, what we dream and what it all means.

Recommended by: DevikaDavoodi&Anna Nieminen

47.Voodoo Hypothesis by Canisia Lubrin

What it's about:In her debut poetry collection,Voodoo Hypothesis, CanisiaLubrin sets her focus on colonialism, racial oppression and subverting false perceptions of Black identity. The book is informed partly by her experience growing up in the Caribbean and living away from home.

Recommended by:@JulieMannell, @KikiFolle&@Cherie_Dimaline

• Canisia Lubrin evokes the folkloric magic of St. Lucia in a poetic takedown of contemporary racism

48. In Hardy Country by Tom Dawe

What it's about: Tom Dawe is a Newfoundland-based author of poetry and children's literature. In Hardy Country is a selection of Dawe's poems from other books, journals and magazines that showcase hisinterest in writing about Newfoundland's unique geography and culture. Dawe was appointedtothe Order of Canada in 2012.

Recommended by: @MaynardLaura

49.Love & Vodka by Christina Strigas

What it's about:Christina Strigas is a Montreal-based poet who has published three collections of poetry. Love & Vodka is a poetry collection centred on connections, love, rejection and loneliness and is about what it takes to rebuild yourself afteryou've been broken.

Recommended by: @alfa.poet, @typewriterslinger, @k.r.cash, @poets.are.rockstars, @breath_words_, @jwprebich, @lexmeehan, @anitatensionpoetry, @nausicaatwila, @anitatensionpoetry, @n.r.hart, @_mnm67, @livelovedream25, @lauree, @mariaxpapad, @cajun_blues, @thesarahdoughty, @_souldiergirl_, @johnny.dims, @spitsikalis, @christinagounari, @nikimamz, @poetryflowsthrough, Alfa H,Voula Kaffet,Gabrielle Lacroix,Jacquie Prebich, Alfa Holden, Giorgio Tanco,Gayla Varna, @sheplaysloud, @bbsilvermystic, @whykatwrites, @madeofpoems, @bevandeveire, @cattykoala, @mysteryofsoul, Jacqueline Prebich, @jackmalloy427, @natuspoetica, @lutziek, @PoetryIsPoetry, @VladaMars, @Iamb_IRATE, @martitagomezl, @EvaLeNoirAuthor, @doriowen, @A_TasteofSin, @Wilde_Verse, @peaceNflight, @MadQueenStorm, @DarkLinePoetry, @Loverdesart, @mnm67, @jessechambers, @PeterPe37464731, @poetryinsunsets, @dsartiststudio, @Destruction969, @shellandjeff, @shootingstar18f, @tamihania, @LexMeehan, @JwPrebich&@ashleyjanepoet

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50.Deepwater Vee by Melanie Siebert

What it's about:DeepwaterVee,MelanieSiebert'sdebut collection,explores Canada's remote northern rivers. DeepwaterVeewas shortlisted for the Governor General'sLiterary Award for poetry in 2010.

Recommended by:@karyn_wiss

51.The Fire Extinguisher by Miranda Pearson

What it's about:The Fire Extinguisher is one of four collections of poetry by Miranda Pearson.Using stunning imagery from the natural world to examine the human psyche,The Fire Extinguisherwas nominated for the 2016 Dorothy Livesay Prize, which recognizes the best book of poetryfrom British Columbia.

Recommended by:@jonina_kirton

52. Stranger Music by Leonard Cohen

What it's about: Leonard Cohen, a legendary Canadian singer-songwriter who died in 2016, published two novels,The Favourite GameandBeautiful Losers,and 10 collections of poetry. Stranger Music, published in 1994, brings together aselection of Leonard Cohen's song lyrics and poetry, demonstratingthe range and depth of Cohen's work.

Recommended by:@covertrook&@SarahMacJourno

• New Leonard Cohen poetry collection coming out in 2018

53.Alligator Pie by Dennis Lee

What it's about: DennisLee is one of Canada's most beloved writers. His children's classic, the collection of versesAlligator Pie,won the 1972 Governor General's Literary Award. Lee was made an officer of the Order of Canada in 1993.

Recommended by:@pjohanneson&@super_crazy_kd

• Dennis Lee reflects on being one of Canada's most beloved poets

54. Against Paradise by Shawna Lemay

What it's about: Shawna Lemay is an Edmonton-based writer who has published poetry, essays and an experimental novel. After Paradise is her 2014 collection inspired by Venice and the quirky characters that make the city unforgettable.

Recommended by:@theotherlensman

55. The Good Bacteria by Sharon Thesen

What it's about:Sharon Thesen is a B.C.-based poet, editorand writer who has published 12 books.Her 2006 poetry collection,The Good Bacteria, explores energy and all its manifestations. Itwas a finalist forthe2006 Governor General's Literary Award for poetry.

Recommended by: Kerry Gilbert

56. Breath Tracks by Jeannette Armstrong

What it's about:Jeannette Armstrong is a novelist, poet, children's story writerand educator who lives in Penticton, B.C. Breath Tracks, Armstrong's1991 poetry collection,highlightsthe lives, pain and resilience of Indigenous peoples and their long memoried past. In 2016, Armstrong received theGeorge Woodcock Lifetime Achievement Award, whichhonours an outstanding literary career in British Columbia.

Recommended by:@allison_burt

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57.The Small Words in My Body by Karen Connelly

What it's about:Karen Connelly wrote The Small Words in My Body mostly in her teens and 20s. The collection, which explores a childhood and coming of age marked by violence combined with a stunning exploration of the beauty of Asia and Spain,won the Pat Lowther Award for poetry in 1991.

Recommended by: @covertrook

• Why Karen Connelly had fun writing her latest novel

58.full-metal indigiqueer by Joshua Whitehead

What it's about:Joshua Whitehead is anOji-Cree, two-spirit writer, poet and Indigiqueerscholar from Peguis First Nation. Hisdebut poetry collection,full-metalindigiqueer, is a collection of experimentalpoems that aim to provoke discussion and debate.

Recommended by:@jonina_kirton

• Why Joshua Whitehead wants to recentre Indigenous characters with his cyberpunk-infused poetry

59.Seal Up the Thunder by Erin Noteboom

What it's about:Erin Noteboom is the maiden name and poetic pseudonym of award-winning YA author Erin Bow. SealUp the Thunder, which came out in 2005,inverts many classic Bible stories. Bow has also written many acclaimed YA books, including Plain Kate and The Scorpion Rules.

Recommended by:@mayachhabra

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60.#IndianLovePoems by TenilleK. Campbell

What it's about:Whether they're about long-term relationships or one night stands, TenilleK. Campbell'spoems are full of intimacy, steamy romance and funny one-liners.#IndianLovePoemsis inspired by the poet Tenille Campbell's experiences in dating as an Indigenous woman.

Recommended by:@jonina_kirton

61. White Stone by Stephanie Bolster

What it's about:Stephanie Bolster teaches in the creative writing program at Concordia University and is the author of seven poetry collections. Her 1998 poetry collection,White Stone, was inspired by Alice's Adventuresin Wonderland and the real girl who inspired Lewis Carroll,Alice Liddell.

Recommended by:@lalehaidan

62. Let It Bleed by Nicole I. Nesca

What it's about:Nicole I. Nesca is a poet and one-half of the creative team behindScreamin' Skull Press. Her collection Let It Bleedhas been described as a "lyrical telling of a life in pursuit of truth, sex, love, youth-lost and experience."

Recommended by:@jaysawhile

63. How Do I Look? by SennahYee

What it's about:Sennah Yee is a Toronto-based writer who released her debut collection of poetry, How Do I Look? in 2017. How Do I Look? combines poetry with nonfiction to paint a portrait of a woman and her complicated relationship with media and pop culture.

Recommended by:@anxietyissue

64. Selected Poemsby Tim Bowling

What it's about:Tim Bowlingwas a finalist for the Governor General'sLiterary Award for poetry in 2003 and 2004, and in 2008 was awarded aGuggenheim Fellowship. Selected Poems, published in 2013, brings together some of Bowling's best work from the past 20 years.

Recommended by: Russell Thornton

65. go-go dancing for Elvis by Leslie Greentree

What it's about:go-go dancing for Elvis is about two sisters one who travels as a dancer for an Elvisimpersonator and one who stays at home and the complex dynamic that arises when two people are so closely connected. go-go dancing for Elvis was shortlisted for the Griffin Poetry Prize in 2004.

Recommended by:@metallicjohns

66. The Hundred Livesby Russell Thornton

What it's about:Russell Thornton is a Canadian poet and the author of six collections of poetry. His most recent work is The Hundred Lives, which was shortlisted for the Griffin Poetry Prize in 2015.The Hundred Lives takes readers from the Bible to Ancient Greece and around the world in acolourful exploration of what creates the human experience.

Recommended by: Svetlana Ischenko, Jenny Ischenko,Carolyn Gentleman, Larisa VM &Gertie Witte

67. Night Work by Randall Maggs

What it's about: First published in 2008, Night Work is a poetry collection tribute to NHL goalie Terry Sawchuk by Newfoundland-based Randall Maggs. Night Workwon the 2008 Winterset Award, the 2009 E.J. Pratt Poetry Prizeand the Kobzar Literary Award.

Recommended by:@metallicsjohns

68.The Celery Forest by Catherine Graham

What it's about:The Celery Forestis afantastical world with strange creatures and disorienting sights. Within the poetry collection's magicalimagery is the examination of Catherine Graham's recent bout with breast cancer.The novelist and poet uses sensual language and style that peers into the duality of beauty and horror.

Recommended by:Aileen Coates