The second annual Poetry in the Pontiac event brought together a group of writers at Hursty’s Bar and Grill in Shawville on Apr. 23 for an evening of poetry reading.
Organizer Jennifer Mulligan said about 10 people attended the event, some of them to read their own poetry and others just to take in a reading from the evening’s guest, Quebec poet Pearl Pirie.
Mulligan said after the success of the first poetry night she organized in Fort Coulonge last year, which brought 10 poetry readers from across the Pontiac, she decided to continue the tradition of inviting a guest poet.
“I know a lot of writers in the city from both sides of the river [ . . . ] and I’m just going to keep tapping my friends to come up and share their work and expose the writers here to different ideas,” she said.
Three brave amateur poets also tried their hand at reading to the crowd, including Tom McCann, a writer who organizes a local writing group as well as a writing competition at the Shawville Fair.
He was happy with the turnout at the event, even if arts and culture efforts like these are slow to take hold in the community.
“Getting an artistic event recognized such as this is a slow burn thing. I believe there are lots of poets in the Pontiac,” he said, adding that some writers can be reluctant to share their work because it is either too personal or too daunting.
McCann, who has been writing in various forms for over 25 years, said writing has been beneficial for him in many ways, and he hopes events like these can help others see those benefits too.
“It is a cheap creative outlet, it can help ease mental stresses especially for journallers, or it can simply be a healthy way to pass the time,” he said.
Going forward, McCann would like to see a writing community that supports local writers through activities such as open mic poetry nights accessible to people in all corners of the MRC and in both languages.
“I think that the issues that plague writers are the same regardless of the language the author works in, so in an ideal world a writing community that supports all writers would be very high on my wish list.”
Mulligan said she hopes to continue hosting these events in different locations to connect writers from across the region who might not otherwise know each other.
“There’s always an appetite for it, it’s just a matter of connecting people in the community because we are separated,” she said, adding that she never felt connected to a writing community when she began the craft as a high school student in Shawville.
She hopes to apply for funding to bring more writers into the community, so that local writers of all ages can get exposed to other lovers and practicers of the craft.
Those wishing to connect with writers in the Pontiac can do so by following the group 26 Lettres on Facebook.
