Whitehorse poet Peter Jickling is coming to the Peace Region for a three-date poetry-reading tour.
Jickling says the tour is designed to build connections and foster a collective writing community in Northwestern Canada.
“I’m excited to read my poems in other Northern towns and meet members of the local literary scene,” he says.
Jickling thinks it’s important for writers from isolated communities to supports and create opportunities for each other. He’s hopeful this tour is a step in that direction.
His tour begins at the Fort St. John Public Library with Fort St. John-based poet Norma Rrae on July 17. The next day, Fort Nelson-based writer Kerissa Dickie will join Jickling at the Phoenix Theatre in Fort Nelson for the second performance of the tour.
It will end at the Dawson Creek Art Gallery on July 19, where Jickling will perform alongside Governor General Award-nominated poet Donna Kane.
The Fort St. John and Dawson Creek events will also feature an open mic for writers in the community to showcase their work.
Jickling currently teaches English at Yukon University, and he published his first poetry collection, Downtown Flirt, in 2019.