BooksSpring Preview

37 poetry collections to watch for in spring 2024

If you love poetry, watch for these books coming out in the first half of 2024.

CBC Books Posted: Apr 02, 2024 3:54 PM EDT | Last Updated: June 3

April is Poetry Month so if you love poetry, watch for these books coming out in the first half of 2024.

Nucleus by Svetlana Ischenko

A book cover of colourful birds and flowers. A white woman with bangs in front of a city skyline by the water. — Nucleus is a poetry collection by Svetlana Ischenko. (Ronsdale Press, Jennifer Ischenko)

Nucleusis a poetry collection that explores the tensions between Svetlana Ischenko's two poetic cultures as a Ukrainian Canadian immigrant and multilingual poet. With both structured sonnets and lyrical pieces, the book examines the tensions of translating oneself as a new immigrant.

Nucleus is out now.

Born in Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine, Ischenko is a Vancouver-based poet, translator, former actress and teacher. She writes poetry, essays and plays in both English and Ukrainian. Her poems have been featured in The Antigonish Review and Event.

Once the Smudge is Lit by Kelsey Borgford and Cole Forrest, illustrated by Tessa Pizzale

A woman with blonde hair and beaded jewelry, a person with short brown hair and a moustache, a book cover with lit smudge in a bowl. — Once the Smudge is Lit is a poetry collection by Kelsey Borgford, left, and Cole Forrest, middle, illustrated by Tessa Pizzale. (Mina Linklater, Emily Seiler, Kegedonce Press)

Once the Smudge is Lit offers readers insight into the spiritual elements of Ojibwayculture and explores the contemporary Indigenous experience. The verse and evocative illustrations touch on various themes ranging from love to community.

Once the Smudge is Lit is out now.

Kelsey Borgford is a Nbisiing Nishnaabekwe from the Marten clan and an emerging author. She has a forthcoming children's book called What's in a Bead.

Cole Forrest is an Ojibwayfilmmaker and programmer from Nipissing First Nation. They are the writer and director of various short films that have been screened at festivals including imagineNATIVE, TQFFand the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Indigenous directors explore pandemic life through short films in NFB online project

Tessa Pizzale is a Moose Cree artist and student at Nipissing University. She is based in North Bay, Ont.

Talking to Strangers by Rhea Tregebov

A book cover of the tips of two pairs of shoes -- converse and brown boots. A woamn with short grey hair wearing blue. — Talking to Strangers is a poetry book by Rhea Tregebov. (From Vhicule Press, Sam Znaimer)

Talking to Strangers is a poetry collection that explores new encounters with people and objects. As is characteristic of celebrated poet Rhea Tregebov, the book dabbles in the art of recollection and elegy with skill and tenderness.

Talking to Strangers is out now.

Tregebov is a Vancouver-based poet, novelist and children's writer. She's written seven books of poetry and two novels, including Rue des Rosiers, and has won the J. I. Segal Award, the Nancy Richler Memorial Prize for Fiction, the Malahat Review Long Poem Prize, the Pat Lowther Award and the Prairie Schooner Readers' Choice Award.

Hazard, Home by Christine Lowther

The author photo: a woman in front of a wooden bookshelf next to a lamp. She has long curly grey hair and freckles on her face. And the book cover: an illustration of a robin bird. — Hazard, Home is a poetry collection by Christine Lowther. (Caitlin Press, Warren Rudd)

Hazard, Home is a collection of nature poetry with a decolonial lens.The work examines the world with wonder at the animals and plants and grief due to urbanization, climate change and loss of biodiversity.

Hazard, Home is out now.

Read Environmental Services by Christine Lowther

Christine Lowther resides in auukwiiat (Tla-o-qui-aht) territory on the west coast. She is the editor of Worth More Standing: Poets and Activists Pay Homage to Trees and its youth companion volume. She is also the author of four poetry collections. She served as Tofino's Poet Laureate during the COVID years and was shortlisted for the 2023 CBC NonfictionPrize.

Precedented Parroting by Barbara Tran

A composite of the author photo: an Asian woman with dark hair wearing a grey beads necklace and black top; and the book cover featuring an illustration of a sea shore — Precedented Parroting is a poetry collection by Barbara Tran. (Barbara Tran, Palimpsest Press)

The poems inPrecedented Parrotingexplore themes of loss, the natural world, Asian stereotypesand our feathered friends. It's also a book about survival through generations and how bothloss and feathers canenable and necessitate flight.

Precedented Parrotingis out now.

Born in New York City, Barbara Tran is a poet whose work has appeared in Women's Review of Books, Ploughshares and The New Yorker. Honours include a MacDowell Colony Gerald Freund Fellowship, Pushcart Prize and Lannan Foundation Writing Residency. She was longlisted for the2018 CBC Nonfiction Prize. She currently lives in Toronto.

Northerny by Dawn Macdonald

A book cover of a little shack and a shining moon. A woman with grey curly hair peeks out of a wooden cabin window. — Northerny is a poetry collection by Dawn Macdonald. (University of Alberta Press, Sean Pond)

Northerny tells of what it's like to grow up in the North and themany ways in which the North can be messy, beautiful and painful. This poetry collection breaks free of the perception of the North as a way to enlightenment or escape and gives a Northerner's perspective of growing up and making a living in the region.

Northerny is out now.

Dawn Macdonald lives in Whitehorse and studied mathematics and physics at university. Her poetry has been published in The Antigonish Review, Canadian Literature, The Fiddlehead, FOLIO, Grain, Literary Review of Canada and The Malahat Review, among others. Northerny is her first book.

We Follow the River by Onjana Yawnghwe

An abstract book cover of two people in a green forest. An Asian woman with grey hair leans left against a pink background. — We Follow the River is a book by Onjana Yawnghwe. (Caitlin Press, Onjana Yawnghwe)

We Follow the River follows one family who escapes from military violence in Myanmar to Thailand and finally Canada. The collection is about learning about family history and finding a home in a foreign land.

We Follow the River is out now.

Onjana Yawnghwe is a Shan-Canadian writer who lives on the lands of the Kwikwetlem First Nation in British Columbia. Her poetry books include Fragments, Desire and The Small Way, which were both nominated for the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize.

Teeth by Dallas Hunt

A black book cover with an image of teeth made out of beads. A man wearing a black t-shirt and glasses crosses his tattooed arms. — Teeth is a poetry collcetion by Dallas Hunt. (Nightwood Editions, Conor McNally)

Teeth is a poetry collection that explores the consequences of colonization and why it continues to repeat itself in today's society. The book also celebrates the successes of Indigenous peoples and looks into the realities they face.

Teeth is out now.

Dallas Hunt on Awsis and the World-Famous Bannock

Dallas Hunt is Cree and a member of Wapsewsipi (Swan River First Nation) in Treaty Eight territory in northern Alberta. His children's book, Awsis and the World-Famous Bannock, illustrated by Amanda Strong, was nominated for several awards and was one of the 2024CBC Kids Readscontenders. Hunt lives in Vancouver.

Gay Girl Prayers by Emily Austin

A book cover with a nun on it. A white woman with blonde hair and glasses wearing a black beanie. — Gay Girl Prayers is a poetry collection by Emily Austin. (Brick Books, Bridget Forberg)

Gay Girl Prayers is a poetry collection that reclaims Catholic prayers and passages from the Bible to empower young women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. At once sassy and funny, this book celebrates cultural and societal differences.

Gay Girl Prayers is out now.

Why Emily Austin rewrote parts of the Bible through a queer and feminist lens

Emily Austin is an Ottawa-based writer. Her debut novel, Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead, was longlisted for The Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour and shortlisted for the Amazon First Novel Award and the Ottawa Book Award.

A Blueprint for Survival by Kim Trainor

A book cover of a blueprint. A white woman with short hair in front of a bookcase. — A Blueprint for Survival is a poetry book by Kim Trainor. (Guernica Editions)

A Blueprint for Survival is a poetry collection that starts in wildfire season and then explores the forms of resistance and survival in the context of climate change. It examines each of these forms as a blueprint for being in and seeing the world.

A Blueprint for Survival is out now.

Kim Trainor is the author of the poetry collections A thin fire runs through me, Karyotype and Ledi. Her poems have won the Fiddlehead's Ralph Gustafson Prize, the Malahat Review Long Poem Prize and the Great Blue Heron Prize. Her poem Desolation made the 2019 CBC Poetry Prize longlist. She lives in Vancouver.

Love Life Loss and a little bit of hope by Chief R. Stacey Laforme

A blue, pink and orange book cover. A man with grey/black hair wearing a beaded necklace. — Love Life Loss and a little bit of hope is a poetry collection by Chief R. Stacey Laforme. (Durvile, Lorene Shyba)

In this poetry collection, Chief R. Stacey Laforme draws from his own experiences to share the moments and emotions that have shaped him. Intertwining pain and humour, it invites non-Indigenous people to explore Indigenous perspectives.

Love Life Loss and a little bit of hope is out now.

Laforme is the retired Chief of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation after serving his community for over 20 years. He is also a poet and storyteller, known for his collection Living in the Tall Grass: Poems of Reconciliation.

Medium by Johanna Skibsrud

A book cover of a person in a very pouffy dress in the wilderness. A black and white image of a woman with curly hair in a ponytail. — Medium is a poetry collection by Johanna Skibsrud. (Book*hug Press, Christine Whelan-Hachey)

Medium is a poetry collection that gives voice to women vilified over the course of history including Helen of Troy, Shakuntala Devi and Marie Curie. The poems serve as a bridge through time and reimagine and reinterpret the myths as we know them.

Medium is out now.

Johanna Skibsrud has no faith in bestseller lists

Johanna Skibsrud is theScotiabank Giller Prize-winning author ofThe Sentimentalists. She also wrote the novelQuartet for the End of Timeand the short story collectionsTiger, TigerandThis Will Be Difficult to Explain and Other Stories. She currently divides her time between Nova Scotia and Arizona.

impact statement by Jody Chan

An abstract white, blue and red book cover. An Asian person with a black bob and a septum piercing. — impact statement is a poetry collection by Jody Chan. (Brick Books, Sarah Bodri)

Using patient records, psychiatric assessments and court documents, impact statement tells the history of psychiatric institutions within the context of colonialism. The collection deals with themes of migration, intergenerational trauma, gentrification and racialized violence all while making space for a better future.

impact statementis out now.

Jody Chan is a Toronto-based writer, drummer, organizer and therapist. Their work includes haunt, all out futures and sick. They are the winner of the 2018 St. Lawrence Book Award and the 2021 Trillium Award for Poetry.

you by Chantal Neveu, translated by Ern Moure

A woman with short brown hair. A woman with brown hair and glasses. A book cover of a blue-tinted rock. — you is a poetry book by Chantal Neveu, left, translated by Ern Moure. (Laurence Grandbois Bernard, E. Sampedrin, Book*hug Press)

you is a book-length poem that explores the formation of self and personal autonomy. Through verse and the spaces in between, the beautiful voice of the work reclaims and affirms one's life.

you is out now.

Chantal Neveu is a Montreal-based author of seven books of poetry. Her book This Radiant Life, also translated by Ern Moure won the 2021 Governor General's Literary Award for Translation and the 2021 Nelson Ball Prize.

Moure is a poet and poetry translator. Her most recent book is Chus Pato's The Face of the Quartzes and her latest poetry book is Theophylline.

West of West Indian by Linzey Corridon

A composite of the book cover, a splash of green watercolour with the title and the portrait of the author: a Black man wearing a suit in front of cherry blossoms — West of West Indian is a poetry collection by Linzey Corridon. (Mawenzi House)

West of West Indian is a poetry collection that explores the Queer Caribbean experience, both the pain and pleasure, as an individual and a collective. It dives into themes of love and autonomy using language that is often used to unsettle queer life.

West of West Indianis out now.

Linzey Corridon is a writer and educator. He was born in the Caribbean and he now lives in Canada.

A Year of Last Things by Michael Ondaatje

A beige book cover. A man wearing a black shirt with white hair. — A Year of Last Things is a poetry collection by Michael Ondaatje. (Knopf)

A Year of Last Things is Michael Ondaatje's long-awaited return to poetry. Drawing on his personal experiences, this collection goes back in time to all the borders that he's crossed with imagery at once witty, moving and wise.

A Year of Last Thingsis out now.

Michael Ondaatje is a Canadian literary icon. His novels and poetry have earned international acclaim, and he was the first Canadian ever to win the Man Booker Prize in 1992, for the wartime story The English Patient. Born in Sri Lanka and educated in England, Ondaatje moved to Canada when he was 18 to attend university.

For prize-winning poet and novelist Michael Ondaatje, every book is an act of discovery

Ondaatje began his writing career in 1967 as a poet, winning two Governor General's Awards for poetry before turning to fiction. Over his career, he's won the Giller Prize, the Governor General's Literary Award and France's prestigious Prix Medicis among other prizes.

The Seventh Town of Ghosts by Faith Arkorful

A book cover of hand with oranges and leaves. A black and white photo of a Black woman with long dreadlocks wearing a grey crewneck. — The Seventh Town of Ghosts is a book by Faith Arkorful. (McClelland & Stewart, Sarah Bodri)

The Seventh Town of Ghosts explores these titular towns through songs that help readers grapple with the challenges of existence and independence. The book offers insight into the power of connection, tenderness and the human spirit.

The Seventh Town of Ghosts is out now.

ReadFamily Affair by Faith Arkorful

Faith Arkorful has had her work published in Guts, Peach Mag, Prism International, Hobart, Without/pretend, The Puritan and Canthius, among others. She was a semi-finalist in the 2019 92Y Discovery Contest. Faith was born in Toronto, where she still resides. In 2020, she was shortlisted for the CBC Poetry Prize.

The Knot of My Tongue by Zehra Naqvi

An abstract book cover of a face and birds. A woman wearing a burgundy head covering against a leafy background. — The Knot of My Tongue is a poetry book by Zehra Naqvi. (McClelland & Stewart)

The Knot of My Tongue uses a variety of poetic forms to capture a cast of characters as they attempt to express the inexpressible, from a new immigrant to Canada trying to speak a new language to the myth of Philomena searching for ways to communicate after her husband cuts off her tongue.

The Knot of My Tongue is out now.

Zehra Naqvi is a Vancouver-based writer who was born in Karachi. She won the 2021 RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers. The Knot of My Tongue is her debut poetry collection.

shima by Sh Yamagushiku

A book cover of cartoon people carrying a bowl with smoke coming out of it. A man with a beard and long hair with a blurred city background. — shima is a poetry book by Sh Yamagushiku. (McClelland & Stewart, Victor Silva)

shima is a poetry collection that questions both the past and future of a community exiled, anchored in the relationship of a father and son. It shows the fragility of memory with a voice at once yearning and precise.

shima is out now.

Sh Yamagushiku is a writer and researcher living in Victoria.shima is his debut poetry collection.

Oh Witness Dey! by Shani Mootoo

An abstract orange book cover with an eye. A black and white photo of a woman with glasses and short hair wearing a button-up. — Oh Witness Dey! is a poetry book by Shani Mootoo. (Book*hug Press, Darren Rampersad)

With no record of how they got there and where they're originally from, Shani Mootoo's great-great-grandparents were brought to Trinidad by the British. Oh Witness Dey! discusses the concept of "origin" through an exploration of history, displacements and legacy, starting with her own.

Oh Witness Dey! is out now.

Shani Mootoo on chocolate, house chores and cryptic notes

Mootoo is a writer and visual artist who currently lives in Ontario. Her debut novel was 1997's Cereus Blooms at Night. Her novel Polar Vortex was shortlisted for the 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize. Her other books include the novels Cane | Fire, Moving Forward Sideways like a Crab and Valmiki's Daughter. In 2022, she won the Writers' Trust Engel Findley Award for fiction writers in the middle of their career.

Fine by Matt Rader

An abstract book cover of a person's legs and a lakeside view. A man with glasses and a short beard by a body of water. — Fine is a poetry collection by Matt Rader. (Nightwood Editions)

Fine takes place in the Kelowna area from June 2021 to June 2022. The poetry collection deals with the events from that time period, including the pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the November 2021 atmospheric river. Despite all these challenges, the poems present a voice of survival and an appreciation for the world's beauty.

When you can read it: April 2024

Rader is a writer from Kelowna, B.C. He is the author of six volumes of poetry, a book of nonfiction and the short story collection What I Want to Tell Goes Like This. He teaches creative writing at the University of British Columbia Okanagan.

The Oneironaut 1 by Sheri-D Wilson

A black book cover with a blue astronaut. A woman with grey hair by the water. — The Oneironaut 1 is a book by Sheri-D Wilson. (Write Bloody North)

The Oneironaut 1 is the first book-long epic poem in a trilogy that explores what the future would look like if we couldn't dream. In this speculative account, scientist Rain is drawn to a small group of people who protect the world of illusion and feels compelled to help them bring down the dystopian regime and allow people to dream once again.

When you can read it: April 2024

'Let us speak differently about the world:' Poet says social change starts with language

Sheri-D Wilson is a Calgary-based writer and artist of 13 books, four short films and three words and music albums. She was appointed to The Order of Canada in 2019 and was the Poet Laureate Emeritus of Calgary from 2018-2020.

The Last to the Party by Chuqiao Yang

An abstract of a long exposed photo. An Asian woman with long black hair. — The Last to the Party is a book by Chuqiao Yang. (icehouse poetry, poet express)

The Last to the Party is a poetry collection that deals with family, culture and diaspora through place and perspective from a Saskatchewan childhood to family visits in Taiyuan. In this moving account, the speaker searches for moments of self-discovery and finds a strong poetic vision.