February 9, 2025
Maria Giesbrecht
Maria Giesbrecht is a Canadian poet whose work explores her Mexican and Mennonite roots. Her debut poetry collection, A Little Feral, was released by Write Bloody Publishing in May 2026. Her writing has appeared in The Literary Review of Canada, Narrative Magazine, Grain, Only Poems, and elsewhere. She is the winner of the 2025 Jack McCarthy Book Prize, the Lesley Strutt Poetry Prize, a finalist for the 2025 Narrative Poetry Prize and the 2026 Narrative Short Story award. Maria hosts Gather, an international writing community that connects poets worldwide. Born in Durango, Mexico, she now lives near Toronto, Canada.
I didn’t know I loved God until he grated
the black night into my bowl and didn’t flinch when I threw up
a few stars.
What draws me to a particular poet or poem that makes me want to write is risk. When I notice a poet takes a risk in their form, their language, their line breaks etc. it startles me. I breathe quicker and realize, oh shit, I want to try this as well.