Complete information @ https://rclas.com/2025-fred-cogswell-award/
WordPlay is coming up Feb 19, a free drop-in writing session with Alan Hill
Unleash your creativity!
Date: Thursday, February 19, 2026 Artist: Alan Hill Project: WordPlay New West Time: 7:00 PM to 9 PM Location: təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre, Multi-purpose Room 2,
65 E Sixth Ave, New Westminster
Join local poet Alan Hill for a fun, casual evening of writing. Select your favourite writing tools (pen & paper or phone). Writing prompts will be provided.
The event is free, no registration required and no experience necessary.
In Partnership with Arts New West, City Of New Westminster & Royal City Literary Arts Society
Royal City Literary Arts Society and Silver Bow Publishing present
“Double Book Launch with poets T K Torme “Silent Meow”
and Candice James “10 PAK- 5 The Long Poems”
Date: Saturday, March 7, 2026, Free Admission
Time: 1:30pm to 3:30pm
Location: New Westminster Public Library
716 6th Avenue, New Westminster
Downstairs Auditorium, accessible by elevator.
*Poetry readings
*Meet and greet
*Book Signings
*Engage in conversation
with the authors
*Door Prizes
Autographed books will be available for purchase. Cash only.
T K Torme is on the Autism scale with Asperger’s Syndrome. “Silent Meow” is a poetry collection written openly and honestly through the mediums of memoir and insight. It gives the reader an in-depth glimpse into the feelings and emotions experienced by a person with a disability trying to navigate their way through a world of people without special needs. It is difficult for people on the Autism spectrum, whether high functioning of not, to wend their way through this world’s intricacies and nuances and find meaningful relationships. T K was born in Montreal and now resides in Vancouver BC.
https://www.silverbowpublishing.com/torme—taylor.html
Candice James is the Poet Laureate Emerita of the City of New Westminster, BC. Her first book of poetry “A Split in the Water” was published in 1979 by Fiddlehead Poetry Books, University of New Brunswick, Her most recent book offerings are the 10 PAK books. Each book contains 10 poems laid out in a 168 page pocket book size. These are experimental books featuring Long Poems laid out in short format with one or two stanzas per page. This allows the reader to pause sufficiently on each page to digest the images invoked and presented by the stanza(s). Candice will be reading from “10 PAK- 5 The Long Poems” today.
https://www.silverbowpublishing.com/candice-james.html
RCLAS Writing Workshop
“to construe a frankenlang” with Winston Lê
Date: Monday MARCH 9, 2026
Time: 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Location: ANVIL CENTRE | STUDIO 417,
777 Columbia Street, New Westminster.
This workshop is Free BUT registration is required.
Email secretary@rclas.com
Workshop Description:
A neologism is a new word or expression, or a new meaning for an existing word. Through this “coinage,” we’ll explore versatility and dynamic innovation of language-making.
In this workshop, we will explore how morphology (texture, sound, shape), semiotics (sign-making, interpretation), and re-materiality (physical body/vessel to embody the neologism) can reshape and enhance and expand our lexical innovation onto our babbling world. This will be a workshop on innovative linguistic processes that will lead to the creation of a poem based on your newly-created word.
This class will be both lecture and workshop base. We will begin by discussing the varying definitions and elements that make up a neologism, as well as how one might experiment with the concept further… Through three linked generative writing exercises, we will explore a “exquisite corpse” approach in writing a poem based on a neologism and by doing so, destabilize and decolonize the nature of the poem and language itself. We’re going to have fun stitching up some linguistic body horror!”
Winston Lê is a Vietnamese diaspora poet, interdisciplinary artist, and cultural worker who resides on the unceded and ancestral territories of the Coast Salish Peoples. His writing has been featured in The End Zine, filling Station, ROOted Rhythms, Composed: anthology of poetry 2024, Poetry Pause, periodicities, Sparkling Tongue Press, Ekphrasis Magazine, and pagefiftyone. He is the author of three poetry chapbooks, translanguaging, hybrid utterance, Thhhhh. His debut chapbook, translanguaging was shortlisted for the 2018 Broken Pencil Zine Awards.Winston also has worked on various interdisciplinary collaborations with other artists, including multi-instrumentalist composer, Cameron Catalano, botanical artist, Katrina Vera Wong, and choreographer, Rob Kitsos. In April 2025, Lê was the poet-in-residence at Greywood Arts, an artist residency located in Cork, Ireland.
2025 WRITE ON! CONTEST WINNERS
$150 first prize $100 second prize $75 third prize
Congratulations to all our finalists! Thank you to everyone who submitted!
POETRY WINNERS (Poetry Judge: CHELSEA COMEAU)
Poetry First Place: Jessica Lee McMillan – GILLNET
Poetry Second Place: Angela Rebrec – Spring Skiing
Poetry Third Place: Diana Hayes – J.J. and Oakley, Gone
Poetry Honourable Mentions
Anna Eastland – Grapefruit Spoons
Diana Hayes – In the Garden with P.K.
KJ MacMillan – In the Blinding Light, Dancing
NON-FICTION WINNERS (Non-Fiction Judge: J.G. CHAYKO)
Non-Fiction First Place:
Cathalynn Labonté-Smith – HOW TO EAT SUET AND OFFAL AND LOVE IT
Non-Fiction Second Place: Mark LeBourdais – Lizard Brain
Non-Fiction Third Place: Percy Du Hamel – It Is a Long Trip There
Non-Fiction Honourable Mentions
Bryan Cousineau – The Ring
Kim Harrison – The Connie Years
Emily Deegan – Juxtaposition
FICTION WINNERS (Fiction Judge: SHARON MCINNES)
Fiction First Place: Edie Reaney Chunn – ENTRIES
Fiction Second Place: Joanne E. Betzler – Gun Control
Fiction Third Place: Amber Fenik – Bus Fare
Fiction Honourable Mentions
MJ Malleck – Spring Chore
Laurel Howe – Granny’s Chair
Lesley Hebert – Snapshots of the Past
Bridging the Gap 2025
RCLAS Co-operative Poem, National Poetry Month, April 2025
© 2025 by the poets
Compiled by Janet Kvammen, New Westminster Poet Laureate
18 contributing poets in order of appearance:
Candice James Alan Girling
Jerena Tobiasen
Susan McCaslin
Jessica Lee McMillan
Angus Pratt
Karen McLaughlin Freeborn
Cynthia Sharp
Isabella Mori
Julia Schoennagel
Chelsea Comeau
Emily Molinari
Jude Neale
Jennifer Getsinger
Angela Kenyon
H.W. Bryce
Alan Hill
Janet Kvammen
New Membership & Renewals here:
rclas.com 
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