Stage One: Shortlisted and Winning Poems 2022

Here are the shortlisted poems in the Youth, Emerging Poets, and Established Poets categories, with links to the poems. Poems are listed by category in alphabetical order by last name.

(Not all the shortlisted poems by the emerging and established poets from 2022 were on the Eligible List of Poems 2023 for the video poetry stage of the contest (Stage 2). Some of the adult shortlisted poets did not wish to participate in the video project. Youth poets had the opportunity to participate in a workshop to learn to make their own poetry videos.)

🔵 Youth (Grade 12 or younger)

Patricia Chen, “Lost in Chinatown”
- Location: Chinatown | Read the Poem
Katie Evans, “Revival”
- Location: Pacific Spirit Park | Read the Poem
Isabel Hernandez-Cheng, “Lotus Flower” 🥈2nd PLACE
- Location: Chinatown | Read the Poem | Read Judge’s Remarks
Debbie Li, “Lightless Fireflies”
- Location: Ancient Musqueam of the c̓əsnaʔəm, 1404 SW Marine Dr. | Read the Poem
Ya Xin Lu, “BBQ Meat Shops” [NOTE: POEM NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE POETRY VIDEO CONTEST]
- Location: Chinatown | Read the Poem
Nazifa Nawal, “Khupkhahpay’ay*: A Found Poem”
- Location: Grandview Woodland neighbourhood | Read the Poem
Sharon Pan, “Home at Vie’s” 🥉 3rd PLACE
- Location: Hogan’s Alley | Read Poem | Read Judge’s Remarks
Crystal Peng, “In Google Maps, I explore Chinatown for the First Time”
- Location: Chinatown | Read the Poem
Alice Stanciu, “The Town Where Time Stops”
- Location: Gastown, Byrnes Block | Read the Poem
Adrian Yue, “ending credits for an ending of ‘chinatown'” 🥇 1st PLACE
- Location: Chinatown | Read the Poem | Read Judge’s Remarks

🔴 Emerging Poets

Christina Barber, “Victory Square Lament”
- Location: Victory Square | Read the Poem
Sandra Bruneau, “Alma”
- Location: Alma Street, which runs north-south from English Bay to West 16th Avenue on the west side of the city | Read the Poem
Harper Campbell, “Near Commercial”
- Location: Commercial Drive | Read the Poem
Jeremy Chu, “Entertainment” 🥇 1st PLACE
- Location: The former Marco Polo Restaurant, 90 East Pender St. | Read the Poem | Read Judge’s Remarks
James Kim,“An Existence That We Can Call Home”
- Location: The First Narrows, by what is now known as Lions Gate Bridge | Read the Poem
Vivian (Xiao Wen) Li, “The Garden, Echoes I”
- Location: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden | Read the Poem
Vivian (Xiao Wen) Li, “The Garden, Echoes II”
- Location: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden | Read the Poem
Angela May, single mother on hastings
- Location: 324 Powell Street (The Lion Hotel), East Hastings, and the wider Downtown Eastside, especially via personal and familial memory | Read the Poem
Theresa Rogers, the stone artist 🥈2nd PLACE
- Location: Stanley Park Seawall | Read the Poem | Read Judge’s Remarks
Donna Seto, Contrasts 🥉 3rd PLACE
- Location: Chinatown | Read the Poem | Read Judge’s Remarks

🟡 Established Poets

Susan Alexander, “Sen̓áḵw” 🥇 1st PLACE
- Location: Seńákw commonly known as Vanier Park | Read the Poem | Read Judge’s Remarks
Kelsey Andrews, “To the Otter Who Snuck into the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden and Ate the Koi” 🥉 3rd PLACE
- Location: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden | Read the Poem | Read Judge’s Remarks
Julie Emerson, “Stanley Park Fir”
- Location: Stanley Park | Read the Poem
Evelyn Lau, “Atmospheric River” [NOTE: POEM NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE POETRY VIDEO CONTEST]
- Location: Sunset Beach | Read the Poem
Barbara Pelman, “Congregation Beth Israel”
- Location: Congregation Beth Israel, 989 West 28th Ave, off Oak Street | Read the Poem
Leslie Timmins, “The Modest Contribution of Babies to the Protest at the Member of Parliament’s Office” 🥈2nd PLACE
- Location: Khatsahlano Beach (known as Kitsilano Beach) and a protest by 350.org at Broadway and Arbutus Read the Poem | Read Judge’s Remarks
Diane Tucker, “Fat Vancouver Snow”
- Location: Norquay Park and the Carmen Rosen sculptures across the street in the 2600-block of Kingsway | Read the Poem