Former Saskatchewan poet laureate Robert Currie's career launched with a contest

Media | Saskatchewan's former poet laureate on the contest that got him started

Caption: Robert Currie has been recognized with multiple awards of distinction in his long career. As the CBC Poetry Prize submissions are just opening, we asked Currie about beginnings, his craft and why he writes.

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For Saskatchewan's former poet laureate, it all started with a contest.
Robert Currie(external link) was a young boy when he entered a writing competition in a church magazine.
In this short documentary produced by CBC's Stephanie Matteis(external link), Currie told filmmaker Jeremy Ratzlaff that, at first, he took second prize, and later, he won.
It was winning that writing contest so many decades ago that put him on his path. Since then, the multiple award-winning poet of distinction has penned more than 10 books of poetry.
Do you have unpublished poems of distinction? The 2016 CBC Poetry Prize(external link) is now open. Submit your entry by May 31.
And Saskatchewan's Festival of Words(external link), for which Currie was a co-founder, celebrates its 20th anniversary July 14-17, 2016.
Watch Exhibitionists(external link) Sundays at 4:30pm (5 NT) on CBC.