Bren Simmers

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Bren Simmers
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Born1976
CitizenshipCanada

Bren Simmers is a Canadian poet and writer. She is the author of four collections of poetry: Night Gears (Wolsak and Wynn 2010), [1] Hastings-Sunrise (Nightwood Editions 2015), [2] If, When (Gaspereau Press 2021), [3] and The Work (Gaspereau Press, 2024). [4] She is also the author of Pivot Point (Gaspereau Press 2019), [5] a lyrical account of a nine-day wilderness canoe trip through the Bowron Lakes canoe circuit in British Columbia.

Born in Vancouver, she studied writing at the University of Victoria and has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. She is the winner of 2022 CBC Poetry Prize [6] for Spell World Backwards, a collection of poems inspired by how Alzheimer's affects language. Her book Hastings-Sunrise was a finalist for the 2015 City of Vancouver Book Award. [7] She is also the winner of an Arc Poetry Magazine Poem of the Year Award, [8] a finalist for The Malahat Review Long Poem Prize, [9] and was a finalist for the 2006 Bronwen Wallace Memorial Award. She lives on Prince Edward Island.

The Work was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for English-language poetry at the 2024 Governor General's Awards. [10]

Bibliography

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References

  1. Bren Simmers' debut collection of poetry with Wolsak and Wynn Archived July 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  2. Hastings-Sunrise named one of 15 poetry books to watch for in 2015
  3. Annick MacAskill Reviews Bren Simmers Work of Labour and Inheritance. Atlantic Books, August 11, 2021.
  4. Pivot Variations: A Review by Lynn Davies of Bren Simmers' "Pivot Point". The Fiddlehead, October 8, 2021.
  5. P.E.I. writer Bren Simmers wins 2022 CBC Poetry Prize for work inspired by how Alzheimer's affects language. CBC Books , November 24, 2022.
  6. 2015 City of Vancouver Book Award Finalists Announced, BC Alliance for Arts + Culture, October 13, 2015.
  7. Poem of the Year Winners Announced. Arc Poetry Magazine , September 16, 2006.
  8. 2011 Long Poem Prize Winners, The Malahat Review.
  9. Cassandra Drudi, "Canisia Lubrin, Danny Ramadan among 2024 Governor General’s Literary Award finalists". Quill & Quire , October 8, 2024.