The ''Alberta Poetry Yearbook'' was an annual publication of entries into a poetry contest administered by the
Canadian Authors Association
The Canadian Authors Association is Canada's oldest association for writers and authors. The organization has published several periodicals, organized local chapters and events for Canadian writers, and sponsors writing awards, including the Gover ...
,
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
,
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
branch. The
chapbook
A chapbook is a small publication of up to about 40 pages, sometimes bound with a saddle stitch.
In early modern Europe a chapbook was a type of printed street literature. Produced cheaply, chapbooks were commonly small, paper-covered bookle ...
was published from 1930 until 1990, and the final year of publication was followed by a collection of the best work published in the annual volumes.
Alberta Scouten, secretary of the Edmonton branch of the Canadian Authors Association for many years, started the ''Alberta Poetry Year Book'' in 1930. Lasting for 60 years, it served as an important poetry market. Scouten was evidently a writer's dream of an editor as she was reported to carry on an extensive and sympathetic correspondence with many of the contributors, winners and losers alike.
The ''Alberta Poetry Year Book'' was continued by June Fritch in 1952, who edited it for the next 27 years. Entry fees covered the cost of prizes, production and distribution and it made a small profit for the Branch.
Cora Taylor
Cora Taylor (born January 14, 1936) is a Canadian writer. Born in Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan, she moved to Edmonton in 1955. served as editor from 1980–85, R. John Hayes from 1986–87 and
Jane Livingston
Jane Shelton Livingston (born 12 February 1944) is an American art curator. She is the author and co-author of numerous books and catalogs.
Life and work
Livingston was born in Upland, California.
From 1967 to 1975, she was curator of 20th-centur ...
from 1988–89. In 1990,
John W. Chalmers edited a collection of the best sixty years of the ''Alberta Poetry Yearbook'', entitled ''Sixty Singing Years'', with the editorial assistance of Cora Taylor and Elaine Moody.
See also
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Canadian poetry
Canadian poetry is poetry of or typical of Canada. The term encompasses poetry written in Canada or by Canadian people in the official languages of English and French, and an increasingly prominent body of work in both other European and Indigenou ...
References
{{Reflist
Canadian poetry
Culture of Alberta