David Groulx

English

Julie Huard

French

Amanda Earl

English Local

David O’Meara

English Local

Manahil Bandukwala

English Local Canada

Monty Reid

English Local

Véronique Sylvain

French Local Canada

Join Ottawa's Poets Laureate Véronique Sylvain and David O'Meara for a special event to celebrate Ottawa Riverkeeper with a reading of river poems by Ottawa poets Amamda Earl, Michèle Matteau, Manahil Bandukwala, Julie Huard, Monty Reid, Clémence Roy-Darisse and David Groulx.

Chimwemwe Undi

English

David O’Meara

English Local

Véronique Sylvain

French Local Canada

Chimwemwe Undi, Canada's Parliamentary Poet Laureate with Véronique Sylvain and David O'Meara, Ottawa's Francophone and Anglophone Poets Laureate

Phil Hall

English Local Canada

A Poetics Dialogue

We will look at the choices we make during composition—the ones that have nothing to do with meaning. Cobbled from reading, how does a poetics become our own, if it ever can?

Along with writing materials, bring a costume mask (disguise), and a written-out dream.

Pre-registration required, spaces limited to twelve participants.

Now sold-out

Eileen Myles

English

Poetry for good

Poetry and all writing is deeply present and sometimes the only best things we can do. I'm throwing in some prose too cause I don't recognize the difference, Bring what you write with including you. 

Pre-registration required, spaces limited to fifteen participants.

Now sold-out

King Kimbit

English Local

Dümideya

English Local

KazMega

English

Join Urban Legends Poetry Collective as we celebrate the shared roots of spoken word poetry and Hip Hop culture. This evening of spoken word will feature three artists whose work is deeply rooted in and influenced by Hip Hop: KazMega, King Kimbit, and Dümi Deya.

This is a mask required event.

Armand Garnet Ruffo

English

Chimwemwe Undi

English

Erik Lindner

English

We encourage the wearing of masks during this event

Alice Burdick

English

Capacity: twelve. Two subsidized spaces available. email rob_mclennan (at) hotmail (dot) com to register.

We encourage the wearing of masks during this event/

This is a hands-on generative workshop for people at all levels of experience in writing, and in any genre. We will discuss working with what’s at hand, using various forms of media in a collaborative way as sources for inspiration and responsive interaction. Examples of said writing will be given and then a series of playful writing methods will introduce participants to strategies for jumping into writing that can lead to poems.

Chuqiao Yang

English Local

Faith Paré

English

Stephen Collis

English

The wearing of masks is required for this event

Apollo the Child

English Local

Billie Nell

English

Playto aka Panos

English

note: this event is mask-required. Doors open at 6:30pm.

In acknowledgement of Urban Legends Poetry Collective's 15th anniversary season, gather with us to hear the work of three former ULPC directors, as a celebration of the past and recognition of the work that has kept ULPC and spoken word poetry alive, thriving, and serving artists in Ottawa.

Alice Burdick

English

Manahil Bandukwala

English Local Canada

Stuart Ross

English

Véronique Sylvain

French Local Canada

We encourage the wearing of masks during this event

Christine McNair

English

Tiffany Eng Moore

English

A short workshop on the binding of chapbooks introducing simple binding structures such as one section pamphlet sewings and other structures that might be useful for self-publishing small amounts of poetry. The workshop facilitators will show examples from various chapbook presses, discuss technicalities such as paper grain, binding materials, opening characteristics, edition work, and typography. Participants will have the chance to try their hand at making a few simple structures. 

Materials will be provided.  

Suggested tools that participants to bring to workshop if they have them but not required: small awl, bone folder, ruler, X-acto blade, small cutting mat.

PLEASE NOTE: This event is limited capacity and not included in Festival Pass access. Please purchase tickets separately to guarantee admission.

John Barton

English

Ben Borg

English

Erik Johnson-Scherger

English

Glenn Nuotio

English

John Ian

English

Renée Dahn

English

River

English

Seiiizi

English

Stefan Schneider

English

Stephen Eckert

English

Taylor Stocks

English

Woodpigeon

English

An evening highlighting queer-themed poetry and music that spans recent Canadian history, contemporary figures, AIDS, romance, social issues, sex and local 2SLGBTQ+ Ottawa life, found within the poems from the Coda For the Victims section of John Barton’s sonnet memoir Lost Family, this Saturday March 25th special musical event (as part of 2023 VERSeFest) will feature an oratorio-style reading of poems by renowned Canadian gay poet John Barton.

Ensemble Allure is a collective presenter of contemporary classical and experimental music originally based in Ottawa, now spread apart interprovincially. The ensemble convenes annually and operates in a modular way. For this performance in Ottawa, the ensemble will be composed of Ben Borg, Guitar, Erik Johnson-Scherger, Violin, Renée Dahn, Viola, and Stephen Eckert, piano. https://www.ensembleallure.com/

Justin Million

English

At KEYBOARDS!, host Justin Million encourages attendees to talk amongst themselves so that he might mine their conversations for material for improvisational typewritten poems. He brings no notes, and there is no prep. He has a bell, which he will *DING* when he’s completed a poem, and then recite that poem immediately, without editing, and place that poem on a stool for a willing audience member to take away for a small donation to the “Art Jar”. Justin keeps no copies and takes no pictures of these poems, so the one you pick up off the stool is the only version of that poem.

PLEASE NOTE: This event is limited capacity and not included in Festival Pass access. Please reserve tickets in advance to guarantee admission.

Antoine Leclerc

English

Lucia de Luca

English

Marijke van den Hoeven

English

Raïssa Simone

English

The Throw! Poetry Collective runs a monthly poetry slam in Tio'tia:ke (aka Montreal). Local poets compete in an inclusive, bilingual space and a professional poet or author is featured at half-time to inspire the next generation. At Throw!, it's about the poetry and not the points because, as Jason 'Blackbird' Selman put it: "Poetry saves lives; poetry allows us to be human in a world that continuously tries to rinse that out of us."

You can find out more about shows, workshops, and our past recordings at linktr.ee/throwpoetry

MA|DE

English Canada

"Writing is a lonely job," Isaac Asimov once said. "No one else is or can be involved in the matter." But he was wrong and we want to show you just how wrong he was. Join us for a workshop that offers historic and contemporary examples of two or more writers working together, as well as a toolbox of various approaches and processes for writing collaboratively. Whether you're new to collaborative writing, or a seasoned co-creator, this workshop will make you think more deeply about the possibilities of the field.

Sanchari Sur

English Canada

This workshop intends to work with a physical object that one is emotionally/affectively attached to, and use that “affect” that object elicits within you, to write. What is affect? What makes objects affective? How does the “affect” of an object (physically or otherwise) affect you? How does your attachment to the object “feel” within your body? What does this “feeling” from this object mean to you? How can you use affective objects effectively to write poetry? These are some questions this workshop will explore. Through writing prompts and free-writing exercises, participants will be encouraged to write poetry using their affective objects, with a particular focus on the body and intersectionality.

Prep: Participants are encouraged to have already chosen an object that is personal to them. For example, photograph, coins, a piece of jewellery, toy, mug, etc.; basically any physical object that elicits a vivid memory and strong feelings.

Limit: 30 participants.