The London Black Heritage Council 2026 Emancipation Day Poetry Contest is now open!
A BIT ABOUT EMANCIPATION DAY FROM LONDON BLACK HERITAGE COUNCIL:
“Slavery was abolished throughout the British colonies with the passing of the Slavery Abolition Act on August 1, 1833. Since 1834, Emancipation Day celebrations occurred in Ontario and Quebec then in communities throughout the rest of Canada in 1846 and 1858.”
This year’s celebration will take place Sunday, July 26, 2026 at Fanshawe Pioneer Village!
CONTEST DETAILS:
- Submit one poem, any style, on the theme of VISION FOR THE FUTURE
- Up to a max of 40 lines
- Original, unpublished work (no AI generated entries please)
- This contest is open to aspiring Black writers and writers of colour
HOW TO SUBMIT:
- This contest is FREE to enter
- The deadline to submit is Friday, June 26, 2026 at 11:59 PM
- Send poems in PDF format by email to arpcontest@gmail.com
- Please include your name, contact information and the title of your poem in the body of your email
- Please do NOT put your name in your PDF submission as poems will be presented to judges anonymously
- Applicants must be a resident of London/the surrounding area
PRIZES:
- 1st prize $100 | 2nd prize $75 | 3rd prize $50
- All winners are invited to read their winning submissions live at this year’s Emancipation Day Celebration on Sunday, July 26, 2026 at Fanshawe Pioneer Village
- All winners will have their winning poem published on the Antler River Poetry website, and will be invited to perform their poem live at upcoming local events by London Black Heritage Council, Spoken Culture & Antler River Poetry