Poet Laureate
At the 2018 Barrie Arts Awards, the Creative Economy Department crowned the City's third Poet Laureate, Victoria Butler.
The Poet Laureate is a prestigious designation that is selected by a jury and awarded to a candidate that has published works, presented their works at public events or forums, and has been acknowledged for their literary creations by the local community. The Poet Laureate, or “the people’s poet”, acts as a champion for poetry, language, and the arts by raising its profile through public engagements and civic interactions. The Poet Laureate acts as a literary ambassador and works to educate and promote poetry and the literary arts in our city and serves for a four year term running concurrent to Council’s.
About Victoria Butler
Victoria
Butler is a vibrant force who has made a measurable impact over the last few
years by creating The Northern Appeal, Simcoe County’s only publication
featuring local creatives. The Northern Appeal gives the opportunity for
creatives to showcase their work, be it photography, written word or sketching and
other forms of visual art. Her contributions to the community are as various as
her skills; from sitting on the Barrie Arts Committee and inspiring young
creatives, to participating in local politics and raising awareness on social
issues, Victoria has demonstrated a sincere compassion for Barrie. The Creative
Economy Department is honoured to work with Victoria over the next four years
as we celebrate language, poetry and the importance of the written word.
Accomplishments
- Founder and Editor in Chief, The Northern Appeal
- Selected and studied under Albert Moritz
- Featured reader at Facilitate in Toronto
Published Works
- Acta Victoriana
- The Veg
- Untethered Magazine
- Vagabond City Lit
- Heart of Barrie
- The Humming Magazine
Passing
by Victoria Butler
The way my mother tells me
someone has died
is soft.
She holds out her hand
as if I could read her future upside down
and whispers
they have passed
as if we were just seeing them
for a brief moment on the
way to school this morning
and we will see them again
on the way home.