Feuilles: February 2026 Newsletter
Poetry contests, open submissions, and the latest from the Traces team...
Dear Traces community,
The snow is coming down! This week, it seems like everyone I talk to across the country is buried in snow. I hope you’re curled up somewhere by a raging fireplace with a cozy drink and a pile of books beside you. Read on for the latest gallery-going recommendation, a slew of open poetry contests, and the latest news from the Traces team.
Traces News
Welcome to our new Managing Editor: Liv Ross
We’re excited to have Liv Ross as our new Managing Editor! Liv Ross is an urban monk, a poet, and essayist writing in and from the Ozarks. In addition to writing, Liv practices gardening, pipe-smoking, leather-working, music-making, and mischief. She has been published in The New Verse Review, The Front Porch Republic, Silence and Starsong, Solum Journal, and VoeglinView. She also serves as Managing Editor for Traces Journal. Her first book, The Blackbird Ballad, is scheduled for publishing May 2026 from Solum Literary Press. She can also be found on Instagram @liv_ross_poetry, or her substack, https://substack.com/@theabbeyofcuriosity
We’re Hiring!
As Liv transitions to her new role, we’re now hiring for two editorial positions: Reviews Editor (Poetry) and Interviews Editor. Interested applicants can send a CV and a short cover letter to traces.editor@gmail.com.
Submissions are OPEN!
We’re now open for submissions for our Spring issue, which will be published in May 2026. We’re accepting poetry, book reviews, and interviews (pitches and completed pieces).
We are also open to prose pieces and are especially interested in publishing short essay series on topics related to Canadian and Christian art.
The Order of Love: Valentine’s Edition
Our Traces dispatch, “The Order of Love,” is published monthly. For February, we have a special “Valentynes” installment on Chaucer and one of the first Valentine’s Day poems ever written!
Do you have a publication, event, or milestone you’d like to share with the Traces community? Submit your news to be featured in a future edition of “Contributor Sightings.”
Community Events & Opportunities
St. Basil Writers’ Workshop
The St. Basil Writers’ Workshop is a year-long program for fiction writers to focus on the craft of writing. Workshops are taught by a variety of faculty, including Jonathan Pageau and Paul Kingsnorth! Applications will close February 28th, 2026.
Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest
The New Quarterly’s annual Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest is open again! Deadline is February 28, 2026.
Winter Count: Embracing the Cold at the National Gallery of Canada
The exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada, “Winter Count: Embracing the Cold reflects on winter’s significant impact across diverse cultures and artistic expressions.
Featuring more than 150 works from the early 19th century to the present, this exhibition brings together Indigenous, Canadian settler and European perspectives on the subject.” On now until March 22nd, 2026.
Claire Harris Poetry Prize
The Claire Harris Poetry Prize, an initiative of Goose Lane’s icehouse poetry imprint, is now open for submissions for debut poetry collections. The prize aims to enhance the visibility of debut poetry collections by previously unpublished poets from Black, Indigenous, and other racialized communities. Deadline is March 31, 2026.
Behold the Man! A Wayfare Poetry Contest
Wayfare magazine announces “Behold the Man!,” its first annual contest for poems about or related to Jesus of Nazareth. Submissions are accepted February 1st through March 29th, 2026 (Palm Sunday).
The Understory: A Comment Festival
Save the Date for THE UNDERSTORY, Comment’s inaugural festival to be held at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, from Thursday, May 28 to Saturday, May 30, 2026.
2026 Jane Greer Memorial Poetry Contest
Dappled Things has announced the Jane Greer Memorial Poetry Contest in honour of beloved poet Jane Greer. Submissions are open now until May 31st!
Contributor Sightings
The Traces community out in the wild…
“Conspirators,” by A. A. Kostas
Read Kostas’ latest short fiction series on his Substack, Waymarkers
Call Out Coyote: Poems by Seth Wieck
Seth Wieck’s poetry collection Call Out Coyote is available to preorder from Wiseblood Books!
Seven Poems by Elijah Perseus Blumov
Elijah has published a whopping seven poems in the latest issue of The New Stylus!
Congrats Liv! A stellar choice.
Looking forward to another great year. Congrats on everything so far Maya!