Blinkity Blank
A Poetry Workshop with Ben Ladouceur
Supported by the National Film Board of Canada and community partner VERSe Ottawa.
Saturday, November 7, 2026 | 1 - 2:30 pm
Arts Court
Whether you write poetry all the time or haven’t touched it for many years – if you want to explore and create poetry in a safe and productive space, you will find this workshop led by Ottawa author and poet, Ben Ladouceur, invaluable. Ben will guide participants through writing prompts inspired by some of the best contemporary queer and ally poets.
As a special ChromaQueer bonus, Ben will feature some of his favourite short films by Scottish-Canadian experimental filmmaker and pioneering animation gay icon Norman McLaren.
Expect to walk away with three or four new poems in your notebook, to continue working on at your own pace.
This workshop requires registration and is limited to 12 people. The cost is PWYC, with a suggested donation of $10-$15.
Blinkity Blank - An experimental short film by Norman McLaren
Ben Ladouceur
Ben Ladouceur is an author and poet living on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe Nation (Ottawa). His first book, Otter, was selected as a best book of 2015 by the National Post, nominated for a Lambda Literary Award, and awarded the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award; his second book, Mad Long Emotion, was awarded the Archibald Lampman Prize. Ben is the recipient of the Writers’ Trust Dayne Ogilvie Prize for emerging LGBT+ writers, and a National Magazine Award for Poetry. His short fiction has been featured in the Journey Prize Anthology and awarded the Thomas Morton Prize. His debut novel, I Remember Lights, published by Book*hug Press in April 2025, has been nominated as a finalist for a 2026 Ottawa Book Award
