The League of Canadian Poets

The League of Canadian Poets

The League of Canadian Poets (LCP), a non-profit arts service organization, is the national association of professional publishing and spoken word poets in Canada. Its purpose is to enhance the status of poets and nurture a professional poetic community to facilitate the teaching of Canadian poetry at all levels of education and to develop the audience for poetry by encouraging publication, performance and recognition of Canadian poetry nationally and internationally.

As well as providing members and the public with many benefits and services, the LCP speaks for poets on many issues such as freedom of expression, Public Lending Right, Access COPYRIGHT, contract advice and grievance. It is actively involved with other arts and literary organizations in discussion with government bodies on matters that affect writers. Through its bimonthly newsletter, it keeps members informed of matters both political and professional and provides a common voice for collective response to important issues.

The League of Canadian Poets was founded in 1966 as a result of a meeting of Toronto and Montréal poets that included Raymond SOUSTER, Earle BIRNEY, John Robert COLOMBO, Louis DUDEK, Ralph GUSTAFSON, Al PURDY, F.R. SCOTT and others. These senior poets wanted to establish an organization to, in the words of the LCP's constitution, increase "the advancement of poetry in Canada, and the promotion of the interests of poets." The LCP's first annual general meeting (AGM) was held in Toronto in 1968; in succeeding years, these meetings have been held at various locations across Canada.

The LCP now serves over 600 members whose work reflects the regional and cultural diversity of this country.