Diana Brebner Prize - Arc Poetry

Prize: $500

The Diana Brebner Prize is awarded yearly for the best poem written by a National Capital Region poet, who has not yet been published in book form. The prize honours the late Diana Brebner, an award-winning Ottawa-based poet who was devoted to fostering literary talent among new, local writers.

2026 Judge’s Bio

Tawahum Bige

Tawahum is a Łutselkʼe Dene, Métis and Nehiyaw spoken word poet from unceded Musqueam, Squamish & Tsleil-Waututh Territory (CKA Vancouver). Queer as heck in obvious ways, they desire a world where acceptance rises while corruption collapses. With a BA in Creative Writing from KPU, Tawahum has performed poetry and hip-hop at countless festivals, their poems featured in numerous publications. His land protection work versus Trans Mountain pipeline expansion had him face incarceration in 2020. Cut to Fortress was published by Nightwood Editions in 2022 and their new collection, Stages of Tanning Words and Remembering Spells, arrived April 2025. Find them online @Tawahum on most social media platforms.

Deadline: September 1, 2026
Extended Deadline: September 7, 2026

Each entry also entitles the entrant to a 1 year (3 issue) Canadian subscription to Arc.

Entry fees are required via Submittable.

Number of Poems	Entry Fee*
1 or 2 poems	$35
3 poems	$40
4 poems	$45
5 poems	$50

* All prices listed are in CADIf submitting via post or email, payment of the entry fee can be made here.

Eligible entries must not exceed 35 lines per poem (including spaces).
No simultaneous submissions or previously published poems will be accepted.
Entrant’s name, address, e-mail and phone number must not appear in the files with the poems.
If submitting via post or email, please include entrant’s name, address, email and phone number in a separate document or cover letter or in the body of the submission email, which should also list the titles of all poems entered.
Emailed entries should have “Diana Brebner Prize” in the subject line, and can be sent to: brebner@arcpoetry.ca.
Mailed entries should be sent to: Diana Brebner Prize, Arc Poetry Magazine, 2 Daly Ave, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 6E2

The contest is open to authors who have had their principal home and actual residence in the National Capital Region for at least 6 months immediately prior to the date of submission, and who have not yet published their poetry in book form. Proof of residency may be required.

Mailed entries will not be returned.

Entrants’ information is concealed during deliberations.

Past Winners

Poetry

2026 Judge’s Bio

Tawahum Bige

Past Winners

community science at the pollinator safari

in the country of our failures

Curfew

Kaytlyn invites me to a party