Local artist and poet Desiree Penner is preparing to spend June immersed in her craft after being selected for a highly competitive national writing opportunity at the Al and Eurithe Purdy A-Frame Association residency in Ontario.
Penner has been awarded a month-long, paid writer-in-residence position at the lakeside A-frame cabin once owned by renowned Canadian poet Al Purdy. The juried residency is considered one of the country’s most respected poetry programs.
“I am so honoured to have been selected to attend the residency for the whole month of June,” Penner said. “To be honest, I almost did not apply, as the vast majority of recipients have already published multiple collections of poetry.”
Penner submitted an application package last fall that included a proposed community event and a portfolio of 10 to 15 poems. She said she hesitated before sending it in, but ultimately trusted her work — a decision that paid off.
“I received the phone call from the selection committee on my birthday, offering me a slot for 2026,” she said. “I think it will be hard to top that gift in the years to come.”
Penner’s path to poetry began just two years ago during a writing retreat in the Whiteshell, where she took a workshop with Lauren Carter.
“This was the first time I wrote a poem and instantly fell in love with storytelling through poetry,” she said. “I’ve been writing poetry almost every day since.”
She has since immersed herself in workshops and collaborative writing groups, developing a style she describes as rooted in both playfulness and precision.
“Every word is a little gem, just waiting to be polished,” she said. “I especially love how I can carefully craft line breaks in a poem to bring forward emotions, questions, or double meanings.”
During her residency, Penner plans to continue work on her first poetry manuscript — a collection centred on her experience moving into her grandparents’ long-vacant farmhouse at the start of the pandemic.
“There were squirrels living under the bathtub, bees in the walls, no hot water, and a roof that leaked every time it rained,” she said. “The collection also explores themes of grief and loss as I sorted through what was left behind, finding many treasures along the way.”
She also hopes to draw inspiration from her temporary lakeside surroundings.
Penner credits her rural Manitoba roots as a defining influence on her work.
“I always joke that I’m a prairie poet,” she said. “These poems are deeply rooted in the prairie landscape — from golden willows casting long shadows at dusk to speckled fawns moving through grasses. Disconnecting my writing from the prairies would be impossible.”
Her background as a visual artist also shapes her writing, with strong connections between her painting and poetry practices.
“Poetry is painting a scene and characters with words,” she said. “Interestingly, my manuscript begins on the shores of Vancouver Island, where the decision was made to return home.”
Beyond her own work, Penner is also focused on fostering connections within the writing community. She is offering a series of virtual generative writing workshops this spring, inviting participants to read Canadian poetry, respond to prompts and share feedback in a supportive environment.
“Writing is a powerful connector,” she said.
The workshops are scheduled for April 19, April 29, May 6 and May 10, running from 2 to 4:30 p.m., with registration available through her website. Penner noted the sessions are open to community members and cost $45.
In addition to the residency, Penner has six poems slated for publication in anthologies and literary journals in 2026, with updates to be shared through her newsletter and social media.
As she prepares for her month in Ontario, Penner said she remains grateful for the opportunity — and hopeful it will mark the next step in a growing literary career.
“I’m so glad that I trusted my poems,” she said.
