Board & Organizers

Shima Robinson (Dwennimmen)
Artistic Producer
Shima Aisha Robinson is an amiskwaciy-wâskahikan (Edmonton – Treaty 6) born poet and spoken word artist who embodies, with every poem and pursuit, the ancient meaning of her chosen ... Read More

Paul Pearson
President
Raised in a mining town in the mountainous back-country of southeastern British Columbia, Paul moved to Edmonton (longer ago than he cares to remember) where he lives and writes ... Read More

Kim Mannix
Vice President
Kim Mannix is a poet, dark fiction writer, and journalist who lived in six Canadian cities before deciding to call Sherwood Park home. As a lover and supporter of ... Read More

Grayson Thate
Secretary
Grayson Thate (he/him) is a poet born in amiskwaciy-wâskahikan (Edmonton). He is currently studying heritage management, and hopes to go to law school in the near future. As a ... Read More

Katherine Gibson
Treasurer
Katherine Gibson received her MLIS from McGill University in Montreal before working at the Richmond Public Library in British Columbia, Canada. After a year and half there she took ... Read More

Alice Major
Past President
Alice Major founded the Edmonton Poetry Festival in 2006 while she was serving as Edmonton’s first poet laureate. (She warns all future laureates to be careful what they start!). ... Read More

Beth Dart
Board Member
Beth Dart is an Edmonton-based director, producer, lighting designer, and theatre collaborator. She is the co-Artistic Producer of award-winning indie theatre company Catch the Keys Productions, best known for ... Read More

Norma Dunning
Board Member
Norma Dunning is an Inuk writer, professor, and grandmother. She has released two short story collections and one poetry collection. A book of non-fiction is scheduled for release in ... Read More


Marco Melfi
Board Member
Marco Melfi joined the Edmonton Poetry Festival Board in 2019. He has had poems published in The Prairie Journal, FreeFall, Funicular, 40 Below: Alberta’s Winter Anthology, and as part ... Read More

Kasia Gawlak
Website
Kasia is a website developer and creative consultant. After twelve years as a freelancer running the sole proprietorship CodeWord Media Design, Kasia accepted a full-time role with Paper Leaf ... Read More