Events & Workshops

Join the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild and City of Regina to celebrate the 2026 City of Regina Writing Award on Thursday May 28 at 7:00 pm at the Artesian (2627 13^th Ave). 

 

The Award show will feature readings by winner Medrie Purdham from her poetry collection “The Solve” and runners up Keegan Grandel for their poetry collection “Lineage” and Carla Harris for their poetry collection “The Accumulation of Waiting”.

 

This is a free event open to the public; all are welcome. Reception to follow the program.

 

The Artesian is a fully wheelchair accessible venue with non-gendered accessible washrooms available. The main entrance facing Angus Street (west side of the building) is a single flight of stairs: a wheelchair accessible elevator is on 13^th Avenue (north side of the building).  Free street parking available. Other accessibility measures at the event include using microphones, read-along copies of presented work and presenter self-IDs.

 

This event will not be recorded or livestreamed.

 

Please RSVP by emailing programs@skwriter.com or by filling out this RSVP form:

 

 

2026 Award Winner Medrie Purdham

 

Medrie Purdham (she/her) lives in Treaty 4 territory with her family and teaches at the University of Regina. Her debut collection, Little Housewolf, was nominated for the Gerald Lampert Award and the Fred Cogswell Award, and won a Saskatchewan Book Award. Subsequent work has been a finalist for the Vallum Chapbook Award and the Montreal International Poetry Prize. She holds a Ph.D. In Canadian literature from McGill University, enjoys sewing and skating, and recently went go-karting for the first time.

 

 

2026 Runners-Up

 

Keegan Grandel (they/she) is an emerging queer and trans poet from Regina, Saskatchewan in Treaty 4 Territory. They write about ancestry, grief, queer sexuality, and gender. They have previously been published online by a webzine called Prompted Mag and will be featured in an upcoming issue of Grain. Their manuscript, presently titled Lineage, will be their first collection of poetry. More of their poetry can be found online under their name.

 

Carla Harris (they/she) is a disabled, mad, queer, nonbinary writer, performer, and interdisciplinary artist from Treaty 4 territory, living in Regina, Saskatchewan. They have performed in Verses Festival in Vancouver, the Saskatoon Poetic Arts Festival, and the Lieutenant Governor’s Annual Poetry Soirée. They released a chapbook, Obtain No Proof, with Dis/ Ability Series of Frog Hollow Press and have had publications appear in ANTILANG, League of Canadian Poets, the Humber Literary Review, and Write Magazine. They teach workshops on improvisation and creative experimentation, and they are a member of the Pain Poets, writing in unconfined Crip time.

 

Submissions were adjudicated anonymously by Canadian judges Andrew Forbes and Samantha Jones.

 

The award is sponsored by the City of Regina and administered by the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild.