Poésie Moncton Poetry

Volume 2

An Acadian poet and artist, Christian Brun (1968–2016) celebrated in his work the sea, memory, and the human experience of the Maritimes. His writing, both lucid and contemplative, drew inspiration from coastal landscapes and the collective spirit of Acadie. Author of several poetry collections, he intertwined activism and art, blending social awareness with inner reflection. Also a photographer and watercolorist, Brun explored the fragile beauty of the world through multiple forms of expression. Known for his sensitivity and deep humanism, he remains a luminous voice in contemporary Acadian literature and culture.

Fredric Gary Comeau (born 1970, in Robertville, New Brunswick) is an Acadian poet, novelist and singer-songwriter living in Montreal. He has published around 15 poetry collections, including Ravages (shortlisted for the Émile-Nelligan Prize in 1994) and Souffles (finalist for the Governor General’s Award in 2012). His first novel, Vertiges, won the Prix Jacques-Cartier in 2013. His work blends Acadian heritage, identity and poetic introspection, marking him as a key figure in francophone Atlantic Canadian literature.

An Acadian poet born in 1970, Jean-Philippe Raîche evokes tragic collective destinies, voluntary exile, and wandering in his work. Establishing uprootedness as a symbol of the human condition, he makes the body of the beloved the only place of return.

As a young student at the University of Moncton in the late 1980s, he relaunched Perce-Neige, which would become the leading Acadian publisher. He then studied at the University of Montreal, McGill University, and Paris VII University. In 1997, he joined the Canadian Embassy in Paris. He was initially responsible for universities and then headed the book and film department. In 2012, he returned to Acadia and settled in Moncton, where he spent three years directing the poetry collection for Perce-Neige Publishing.

In 2001, his first collection of poetry, Une Lettre au bout du monde, was published by Perce-Neige. Noticed by critics, the work was nominated for the Antonine-Maillet Prize, the Emile-Nelligan Prize, and the Governor General’s Award. In 2007, Ne réveillez pas l’amour avant qu’elle ne le veuille (Don’t Wake Love Before She Wants to Be Woken), which transposes the Song of Songs to the modern era, was published by the same publisher and received the Aliénor Prize and the Louise-Labé Prize in France. His texts have appeared in several magazines and anthologies in Canada and France.

Jo-Anne Elder (born in 1957, in Hamilton, Ontario) is a Canadian poet, translator, and editor living in New Brunswick. Holding an MA and PhD in Comparative Canadian Literature from the University of Sherbrooke, she has taught French and worked extensively in literary translation between English and French. She won the David Adams Richards Prize in 2005 for Postcards from Ex-Lovers and has been a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award multiple times. Her work engages with marginalized voices, especially Acadian, and promotes intercultural exchange within Canada’s bilingual landscape.

Kayla Geitzler was born and raised in Moncton NB. Her adventurous spirit has taken her all over the world and onto cruise ships where she worked for two years. This inspired her first poetry collection That Light Feeling Under Your Feet. Published by NeWest Press in 2018, it won the 2016 WFNB Bailey Prize, made the Calgary Bestseller List, and was shortlisted for the 2018 NB Fiddlehead Poetry Prize and Alberta Publishers’ Award. The CBC has recognized Kayla as a poet who reflects “the enduring strength of the literary form in this country” and All Lit Up has named her a “Rad Woman of Canadian Poetry”.

Kayla holds an MA in English Creative Writing from UNB, has worked on the largest pipeline projects in Canada, and designed courseware for Air Traffic Controllers. She is the host of the Attic Owl Reading Series, the Moncton Representative for WFNB, and a member of Poetry in Voice and the League of Canadian Poets. Her writing has appeared in The Fiddlehead, Galleon, Poetry is Dead, Les Effeuilleuses, Gnaw and Gnarl: A Chapbook of NB Poets and most recently in Thirteen: New Collected Poems from LGBTQI2S Writers in Canada. She has read at literary festivals across Canada and the 2019 Frye Festival’s Prelude. She is the co-editor of the forthcoming multilingual chapbook of NB Women Writers Cadence. Kayla works as an editor and consultant, so that she can help businesses and writers capture their best writing. 

Kelsey Klip is a Canadian poet-performer whose work is deeply rooted in social justice and feminine power. A mother and earth-lover, she blends words with performance to create art that champions authenticity and activism. Host of the show The Vibe Swap on nr92.ca, she uses the platform to share poems, reflections and community-oriented content. Her practice—at the intersection of poetry, spoken word and performance—makes her a vibrant and conscious voice in the contemporary art scene.

Vanessa’s poems and short stories have appeared in numerous periodicals including The Fiddlehead, Prism International, The Antigonish Review, CV2, and The Pottersfield Portfolio. Her first collection, Our Extraordinary Monsters, was published by Signature Editions. Her work has also appeared in anthologies by Guernica Editions, Baseline Press, Frog Hollow Press, and Owl’s Head Press. She has worked on Qwerty and The Fiddlehead and as an associate poetry editor for Goose Lane Editions. She completed her MA in creative writing at the University of New Brunswick. 

A passionate arts advocate, Vanessa was Deputy Director of the New Brunswick Arts Board (artsnb) for several years and continues to support the arts community through several volunteer positions at arts organizations. 

Now residing in Moncton, Vanessa is Senior Creative Writer at m5 the agency, Atlantic Canada’s largest integrated communications agency.