March Hare (festival)
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The March Hare is a former poetry festival in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, and was the largest poetry festival in Atlantic Canada prior to 2018. It started in 1987 or 1988 as an evening of poetry and entertainment at the Blomidon Golf and Country Club in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador, designed to appeal to a general audience. The March Hare takes its name from the character in
Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet, mathematician, photographer and reluctant Anglicanism, Anglican deacon. His most notable works are ''Alice ...
's
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (also known as ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English Children's literature, children's novel by Lewis Carroll, a mathematics university don, don at the University of Oxford. It details the story of a ...
. According to Rex Brown, the name is also intended as a pun on the words ''here'' (celebrating a sense of place) and ''hear'' (since its focus is the spoken word). The Hare takes place in March each year. Loosely associated with the
Grenfell Campus Grenfell Campus, formerly Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, is a campus of the Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN). It is located in the city of Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The campus has approximately 1,300 students enrol ...
of
Memorial University Memorial University of Newfoundland, or MUN (), is a Public university, public research university in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, with satellite campuses in Corner Brook ...
through the leadership of poet-organizer
Al Pittman Al Pittman (April 11, 1940 – August 26, 2001) was a Canadian writer and teacher from Newfoundland. Life and work Born in St. Leonard's, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, Pittman grew up in Corner Brook. He moved to Montreal in 1964 where he beg ...
and the involvement of other writers who taught at Grenfell, the Hare was equally the brain-child of teacher Rex Brown and club manager George Daniels. Although still anchored in Corner Brook, the event annually travels to St. John's and Gander, Newfoundland, Toronto, Ontario, and other venues, provincial, national and international. In 2007, The March Hare visited seven centers in Ireland, including Dublin and Waterford.Fowler, Adrian, "Introduction", ''The March Hare Anthology'' (St. John's: Breakwater Books, 2007), v-vi. In 2011, March Hares were mounted in Rocky Harbour, Newfoundland, and Halifax, Nova Scotia. The March Hare featured
Stephanie McKenzie Stephanie McKenzie (born 15 February 1993) is a New Zealand professional racing cyclist. At age eight Stephanie was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and due to it joined the Novo Nordisk team. Later on, she decided to attend Massey University where ...
,
Michael Ondaatje Philip Michael Ondaatje (; born 12 September 1943) is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian poet, fiction writer and essayist. Ondaatje's literary career began with his poetry in 1967, publishing ''The Dainty Monsters'', and then in 1970 the critically a ...
,
Alistair MacLeod Alistair MacLeod (July 20, 1936 – April 20, 2014) was a Canadian novelist, short story writer and academic. His powerful and moving stories vividly evoke the beauty of Cape Breton Island's rugged landscape and the resilient character of ma ...
,
Paul Durcan Paul Francis Durcan (16 October 1944 – 17 May 2025) was an Irish poet who was Ireland Professor of Poetry between 2004 and 2007. Early life and education Paul Francis Durcan was born in Dublin on 16 October 1944. He grew up in Dublin and s ...
,
Lorna Crozier Lorna Crozier, (born 24 May 1948) is a Canadian poet, author, and former chair of the Writing Department at the University of Victoria. She is the author of twenty-five books and was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2011 as one of Ca ...
, Patrick Lane,
Susan Musgrave Susan Musgrave (born March 12, 1951) is a Canadian poet and children's writer. She was born in Santa Cruz, California, to Canadian parents, and lives in British Columbia, dividing her time between Sidney and Haida Gwaii. She has been nominated ...
, Stephen Reid,
Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin (; born 1942) is an Irish poet and academic. She was the Ireland Professor of Poetry (2016–19). Biography Ní Chuilleanáin was born in Cork in 1942, the daughter of Eilís Dillon and Professor Cormac Ó Cuilleanà ...
, Wayne Johnston, Stan Dragland,
Ron Hynes Ron Hynes (December 7, 1950 – November 19, 2015) was a folk singer-songwriter from Newfoundland and Labrador. He was especially known for his composition " Sonny's Dream", which has been recorded worldwide by many artists and was named the 41 ...
,
Michael Crummey Michael Crummey (born November 18, 1965) is a Canadian poet and a writer of historical fiction. His writing often draws on the history and landscape of Newfoundland and Labrador. He won the 2025 International Dublin Literary Award. Life and educ ...
, Emiko Miyashita, Glen Sorestad, Michael Winter, Louise Halfe (Sky Dancer), John Ennis, Lisa Moore, and many others. Early contributors to the March Hare included
Al Pittman Al Pittman (April 11, 1940 – August 26, 2001) was a Canadian writer and teacher from Newfoundland. Life and work Born in St. Leonard's, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, Pittman grew up in Corner Brook. He moved to Montreal in 1964 where he beg ...
, John Steffler,
Randall Maggs Randall Maggs is a Canadian poet and former professor of English Literature at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College of Memorial University, in Corner Brook, Newfoundland. He is one of the organizers and now artistic director of the March Hare, the large ...
, Adrian Fowler, David "Smoky" Elliott, Des Walsh,
Clyde Rose Clyde may refer to: People and fictional characters * Clyde (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Clyde (surname), including a list of people * Walt Frazier (born 1945), American basketball player nicknamed "Clyde" * Colin Ca ...
, Nick Avis, and
Pamela Morgan Pamela Morgan (born November 25, 1957) is a Canadian musician, songwriter and owner of independent label Amber Music, now living in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. From 1976 to 1995, she was lead singer of folk rock band Figgy Duff. Disco ...
. In 2017, organizer Rex Brown announced that 2018 would be his last year running the festival. It held its final event at
Corner Brook Corner Brook ( 2021 population: 19,316 CA 29,762) is a city located on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Corner Brook is the fifth largest settlement in Newfoundland and Labrado ...
in March 2018, after a tour that included stops in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
,
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
,
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
and other locations in
Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...
.


References

{{Canadian poetry Festivals established in 1988 Festivals disestablished in 2018 March Corner Brook 1988 establishments in Newfoundland and Labrador Poetry festivals in Canada 2018 disestablishments in Newfoundland and Labrador Literary festivals in Newfoundland and Labrador