In/Words, a Carleton magazine and press, launched a poetry anthology of millennial writers on March 23 as part of Versefest, Ottawa’s annual poetry festival.
The anthology, called 30 Under 30, highlights the work of 30 young Canadian poets from across the country. It was produced by the In/Words editing team and curated by poet a. m. kozak, an editor with In/Words and a Carleton master’s student in social work.
kozak said he first came up with the idea for the anthology nine months ago. He said there are many barriers for young writers in Canada, both financial barriers and societal ones.
“I think that people under 30, millennials if you want to call them that, kind of get a bad rap from the rest of society, especially from the older generation,” he said. “I wanted to do something that would highlight the achievements and the creativity that are prevalent in this generation but that isn’t always recognized.”
He said literary groups can often be tight-knit, which makes getting one’s work out there as a young writer daunting.
“It can seem unfriendly if you’re not used to it,” kozak said, and added that he wants these spaces to be more inclusive of new and emerging writers.
This anthology is meant to help some of Canada’s brightest young poets get their work out there, as well as create a more welcoming community for young writers, kozak said.
“It’s about community building for me,” he said. “It’s about bringing people together.”
This is part of the reason the launch was part of Versefest. kozak said this meant the anthology would be launched to a wider and more diverse audience than In/Words’ usual crowd.
The launch at Versefest was co-hosted by In/Words and Blue Mondays. Four poets performed, including Vancouver poet Kayla Czaga, whose work was published in the anthology.
Czaga, who has published a book of poetry titled For Your Safety Please Hold On and a chapbook, said she has been writing poetry since the age of 10.
Among other pieces, Czaga performed the poem “Selfie,” which is the piece that appeared in 30 Under 30.
She said she wrote this poem while living with a partner, at a moment when she realized just how lonely life can be.
“It feels like our generation has a lot of existential doubt,” Czaga said. “Maybe other generations feel this too, but it feels very millennial to me.”
The anthology will be launched in several cities across Canada, including Toronto and Vancouver.
