2023 Adjudicators
Mike Madill
ADJUDICATOR FOR YOUTH ENTRIES
Mike Madill's poetry has been published in literary journals across Canada, including in The Antigonish Review, The Dalhousie Review, Event, The Fiddlehead, The New Quarterly, Vallum and The Windsor Review. He was shortlisted for Freefall's 2019-20 Poetry Contest, and an Honourable Mention in the inaugural 2021 Don Gutteridge Poetry Award Contest earned him publication of his debut, full-length collection, The Better Part of Some Time.
When not writing, Mike pursues freelance editing, and has also taken turns as a social worker, computer analyst and home contractor. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from York University, and is a member of the League of Canadian Poets.
Harry Posner
ADJUDICATOR FOR ADULT AND POETRY
A member of The Writers Union of Canada and Associate Member of the League of Canadian Poets, Harry Posner is an award-winning author of six books and two spoken word CDs. Harry was Dufferin County's first Poet Laureate from 2017-2021. He organized and hosted many open mics and writing workshops, as well as the Day of the Poets festival in Orangeville, Ontario. Harry is co-host with Peter Noce of The Sill podcast (www.thesillpodcast.com).
His writing philosophy can be summed up with the words: "Give me a word and I'll give you a world."