Writing Awards
2025
Long-listed for Rabindranath Tagore Poetry Competition for poem “Love of a Thornback”
2026
3rd place in Rabindranath Tagore Poetry Competition for poem “When I Think of You, I Want to Find You”
Honourable Mention in 5th Annual Carmen Ziolkowski Poetry Prize for poem “When Apricot Light Glazes the Prairies”
Writing Residencies
June 2026
Al & Eurithe Purdy poetry residencyBeing awarded a month-long spot as the Al + Eurithe Purdy Poetry Writer-in-Residence was the highlight of my summer. I wrote 19 new poems, which are building into a collection about shipwrecks, treasure, environmental hurt, queer love, and the joy of being alive alongside Lake Ontario.
During my time there, I also facilitated a nature walk and poetry write, using Al Purdy’s poems as prompts.
Interviews
Pembina Valley Online, Local poet secures prestigious residency after just two years of writing, Kylee Bailey, April 19, 2026
The Eagle 93.5, Manitoba Artist Désirée Penner Celebrates Published Poems & Ontario Residency, Jayme Giesbrecht, April 15, 2026
Carman Dufferin Standard, Elm Creek artist earns prestigious Ontario poetry residency, Lana Meier, April 9, 2026, pg. 7, 9
Carman Dufferin Standard, Elm Creek poet places third in provincial competition, Lana Meier, June 11, 2026, pg. 6, 9
Pembina Valley Online, Poet Désirée Penner turns hearing 'no' 194 times into viral discussion, Kylee Bailey, August 8, 2026