2025 Festival  Events Schedule

VERS/E is a monthly queer poetry open mic that takes place the first Wednesday of every month from September to April. Whether you’re a seasoned poet or just starting out, this event is the perfect space to share your work in a supportive and inclusive environment. Bring your poems, stories, or spoken word pieces to share with a welcoming audience. Let your voice be heard and connect with other members of the queer community through the power of poetry!

Each month this event feature a new poet and produces a limited-edition risograph art print of their work. This event will feature the poetry of sakâw laboucan.

Doors are at 6:00pm, and the poetry is at 6:30pm.

You can follow VERS/E on Instagram @vers_e_poetry for more information and upcoming events in the Queer Poetry Series.

Registration: Limited. Click the “Tickets” button to reserve your spot.

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Event Series: Spotlight, Open Mic

Authors & Presenters

sakâw laboucan

Venue

Felice Cafe

10930 84 Street NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5H 1M7 Canada

Part of the 2025 Edmonton Poetry Festival Poetry Lobby Series, this is a different kind of open mic.

A different kind. Of open mic.

6:00pm – 6:45pm.

A call and response, between poets and movers. A jam session of a different stripe. The poets will poet, and the movers — the Expanse Festival’s own Lobbyists ensemble — will move it, all to the rhythm and style that you set!

This special event is a collaboration between Azimuth Theatre, Edmonton Poetry Festival, and Fringe Theatre Adventures, bringing together poets, movers and storytellers for an experiment in form and collaboration. The Expanse Festival’s movement ensemble The Lobbyists are ready to move with you, so we need you to step up step up to a different kind of open mic. 

Venue Note: This event will take place in the lobby of the Fringe Theatre Arts Barns: the Fringe Grounds Café!

Registration: No registration required. Simply show up and enjoy!

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Event Series: Partnership, Outreach, Showcase

Venue

The Fringe Arts Barn

10330 84 Ave NW
Edmonton, Alberta T6E 4B4 Canada

Join in on an evening of candlelit comedy and light humour to celebrate the joy and friendship that the Stony Plain Public Library has brought to the community for 80 years – and the launch of Parkland Poets’ Society newest anthology, Outlying Voices!

The Comedy Poetry Café will be a casual open mic format focusing on humorous, clever, witty wordplay and poetry. ANY poetry is welcome – found or fresh, modern or classical – as long as it is light-hearted. This event is free and for all ages.

Non-readers are welcome and encouraged to attend to enjoy some laughs as well. 

There will be free coffee, and coffeehouse-type-goodies available for attendees!

Reader Sign-Up: If you would like to read at this event, click on the “Tickets” button to secure your spot!

Registration: There is no registration for general attendance.

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Event Series: Publishing, Spotlight, Open Mic

Authors & Presenters

Parkland Poets

Venue

Stony Plain Public Library

5216 50 St
Stony Plain, Alberta T7Z 0N5 Canada

Part of the 2025 Edmonton Poetry Festival Poetry Lobby Series, this is a different kind of open mic.

A different kind. Of open mic.

6:00pm – 6:45pm.

A call and response, between poets and movers. A jam session of a different stripe. The poets will poet, and the movers — the Expanse Festival’s own Lobbyists ensemble — will move it, all to the rhythm and style that you set!

This special event is a collaboration between Azimuth Theatre, Edmonton Poetry Festival, and Fringe Theatre Adventures, bringing together poets, movers and storytellers for an experiment in form and collaboration. The Expanse Festival’s movement ensemble The Lobbyists are ready to move with you, so we need you to step up step up to a different kind of open mic. 

Venue Note: This event will take place in the lobby of the Fringe Theatre Arts Barns: the Fringe Grounds Café!

Registration: No registration required. Simply show up and enjoy!

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Event Series: Partnership, Outreach, Showcase

Venue

The Fringe Arts Barn

10330 84 Ave NW
Edmonton, Alberta T6E 4B4 Canada

Come listen to members of the Stroll of Poets perform pieces from their most recent chapbook project, honoring the chorus of non-human voices around us. 

Venue Note: This event will take place at the Night of Artists Gallery and Gifts in the Bonnie Doon Centre.

Registration: No registration needed! 

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Event Series: Publishing

Authors & Presenters

The Stroll of Poets Society

Venue

Bonnie Doon Centre

8330 82 Ave NW
Edmonton, Alberta T6C 4N6 Canada

POETRYSPORTS is a collaboration between Rapid Fire Theatre and the Edmonton Poetry Festival. Teams of improvisers, led by actual poets, will duke it out in the realm of poetry. Whose haikus will prove the most profound? What pentameters will comedic timing favour? Will poetic justice ever be served?

Rapid Fire Theatre’s ensemble members will enthrall as comedic improv warriors Ahmed “Knowmadic” Ali and Megan Dart take each other on in TEAM COMBAT. Like Theatresports – but with poetics for fuel, rhymes for skin, and a burning desire to win – you are invited to judge the teams’ output…and your judgement must be stern, harsh, and austere.

The program will culminate with the presentation of laurels. 

BONFIRE is Rapid Fire Theatre’s annual festival where our talented ensemble debuts a ton of fresh, exciting, and innovative shows — like POETRYSPORTS. Be part of the excitement and experience the next big thing in live performance!

Admission & Registration: Pay-what-you-will. Click on the “Tickets” button to secure your spot!

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Event Series: Partnership

Authors & Presenters

Ahmed "Knowmadic" Ali     Autumn Strom     Dill Prusko     Joleen Ballendine     Marguerite Lawler     Megan Dart     Rapid Fire Theatre     Sam Stralak     Susan Evans

Venue

Rapid Fire Exchange

10437 83 Ave NW
Edmonton, Alberta T6E 2C7 Canada

Celebrate National Poetry Month with an afternoon of poetry, hosted by Regional Writer in Residence Anna Marie Sewell and featuring two local poets, Kayleigh Cline and Don Perkins. There will also be an open mic session for those interested in sharing their own work. This event is co-presented with the Edmonton Poetry Festival.

Registration: Free but limited. Click on the “Ticket” button to secure your spot!

Event Series: Spotlight, Open Mic

Authors & Presenters

Anna Marie Sewell     Don Perkins     Kayleigh Cline

Venue

Strathcona County Library

410 Festival Lane
Sherwood Park, AB T8A 5P7 Canada

Soul Speak is an open mic event in the lobby of the Grindstone Theatre and hosted by Ryan Summers, aka Some-Sum. It focuses on self-expression through words — be that through song, poetry, or story telling, this is a space for you to come and share what it is that’s in your soul! 

Admission: Entry by donation at the door, minimum $5 suggested.

Reader Sign-Up: If you would like to read, sign up in advance by messaging Ryan Summers at ryan.james.summers.104@gmail.com

Registration: For both readers and listeners, secure your spot by clicking the “Tickets” button indicating your interest!

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Event Series: Spotlight, Open Mic

Authors & Presenters

Ryan James Summers (Some-Sum)

Venue

The Grindstone Theatre

10019 81 Ave
Edmonton, Alberta T6E 1W7 Canada

The Haven Reading Series is the main event for Stroll of Poet members to share their poetry in front of a supportive audience in an atmosphere which is both friendly and inviting. The series runs every-other Monday evening.

Each Haven features four Stroll members who have signed up for their 10-minute reading in advance. Each Haven also features a two-minute-per-reader open mic. It’s a chance for new attendees and existing members alike to share their work – and to get newcomers hooked on the Stroll! The Stroll does its best to prioritize new readers or first time readers, so come one, come all!

To learn more about who the Haven readers will be, you can visit the Stroll of Poets Society website by [clicking here].

Admission: $5 cash at the door.

Registration: No registration required. Just show up!

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Event Series: Spotlight, Open Mic

Authors & Presenters

The Stroll of Poets Society

Venue

Upper Crust

10909 86 Ave NW
Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1E6 Canada

How can poems speak in times of turmoil?

In this workshop, celebrated Edmonton poet Rayanne Haines will help poets address this question in their own work. The term “poetry of witness” was coined decades ago as one space that poems can inhabit. But what does witnessing mean, since poems can’t directly stop bombs falling or lift chains of oppression, and we’re often writing from far away? Is it enough that poems offer us a way to get closer to the feelings of turmoil and distress?

In this workshop, poets will explore the role of poetry as a witness and a voice during times of war, displacement, genocide and trauma. Through examples and writing prompts you’ll probe into poetry encompassing first-hand accounts of witness of extremity (for instance, a prisoner of war) and “secondary” witnessing by those who experience an event through news reports, images, interviews, or other documents. You’ll also think about proximity and the space between the “personal” and the “political,” or writing personal tragedy as witness.  

Venue Note: This event will take place in the lobby at the Fringe Arts Barn.

Registration: Free and limited to 16 participants. To secure your spot, click the “Tickets” button and fill out the Google Form. 

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Event Series: Outreach

Authors & Presenters

Rayanne Haines

Venue

The Fringe Arts Barn

10330 84 Ave NW
Edmonton, Alberta T6E 4B4 Canada

Join in on the Edmonton launch of the first English translation of galáxias, by the renowned Brazilian avant-gardist Haroldo de Campos. This brilliant work (composed over two decades and published in 1984) charts a linguistic odyssey across time and space, from Homer’s ancient Greece to the 1950s Beat Poets. The text’s 50 galactic cantos incorporate literary allusion, citation, and words and phrases in at least a dozen languages, making galáxias a formidable experiment in polyglot poetry that prefigures spoken word. 

Join the translator, Odile Cisneros, and guests Michael O’Driscoll (Professor) and Ryan Fitzpatrick (Writer-in-Residence) from the U of A’s Department of English and Film Studies, for a panel discussion and reading. 

A brief presentation of the companion website by Francerlândio Cruz (MA Candidate) will follow the reading. Moderated by Edmonton’s Poet Laureate Alice Major.

This event will be followed by light refreshments & book signing.

Venue Note: This event will take place in Henderson Hall, which is in Rutherford Library South 1-17. 

Registration: No registration required!

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Event Series: Publishing

Authors & Presenters

Alice Major     Haroldo de Campos     Michael O’Driscoll     Odile Cisneros     Ryan Fitzpatrick

Venue

Rutherford Library South

University of Alberta, 11208 89 Ave NW
Edmonton, AB T6G 2J8 Canada

Sip a latte and enjoy original poetry at The Carrot’s uniquely warm and personal open mic night.

Open to performers of all stages and ages, this event presents professionals, amateurs and “closet” artists—some performing for their first time. Enjoy the pleasure of watching, listening and even participating in the acts of a creative community and relish the surprises!

Doors at 6:30pm, poetry from 7:00-9:00pm.

Registration: No registration is required. Just show up!

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Event Series: Spotlight, Open Mic

Authors & Presenters

The Carrot

Venue

The Carrot Community Arts Coffeehouse

9351 118 Ave NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5G 0N3 Canada

The Olive Readings happen on the second Wednesday of every month from January to April and September to December. These well-attended evening readings feature well-established local, Albertan, or Canadian writers reading from recent work. One month out of our year we feature readings from students of Creative Writing classes at Edmonton’s post-secondary institutions, offering a venue to showcase up-and-coming Edmonton talent.

This reading will feature 7 readers from the Horizons Writers Circle. This program provides support and mentorship for writers within the BIPOC, Indigenous, and ESL communities – and other underrepresented writers who live in Edmonton and are at the beginning of their literary journey. On April 9th, the readers will be: Poushali Mitra, Devika Short, Catalina, Patricia, Manna Liu, Ting Pimentel-Elger, and Ryan & Calamansi Club.

A short open mic session follows the main readings. The session is open to all attendees and provides a valuable, safe and non-judgmental reading environment for new writers.

To learn more about this series, you can visit The Olive’s website by [clicking here]. 

Registration: No registration is required. Just show up!

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Event Series: Spotlight, Open Mic

Authors & Presenters

Calamansi Club     Catalina Morales Velez     Devika Short     The Olive Collective     Ting Pimentel-Elger

Venue

Rooster Kitchen & Bar

10732 82 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB T6E 6P4 Canada

Are you a poet or someone who appreciates poetry? If so, Parkland Poets invites you to join them every second (online) and fourth (in person) Thursday of the month for their Reading Series! This series is open to everyone and free of charge.

This event is the ONLINE reading event, and will be held via Zoom. The call will open at 6:45pm, and the poetry will start at 7:00pm.

At each meeting, there will be three poets featured who have signed up in advance to deliver an 8-10 minute performance. Following the featured readers, there will be an open mic session, where audience members can sign up (on the night itself) to deliver a brief 2-4 minute reading.

You don’t need to sign up in advance to read at the open mic!

Sign Up:

Volunteers are needed to fulfill the roles of Mic Host/Emcee at each reading. Parkland Poets also need volunteers to be co-hosts, or technical support, during online readings, so that the Mic Host can focus on Emceeing the evening. Training and support are offered for these roles. 

You can also sign up to be a featured reader! It is a great way to promote a new book or poetry-related event.

To sign up for any of these roles for this session (or future sessions) please [click here] to check for openings and to provide your name and information.

Registration & Zoom Call: No registration required for general attendance. Anyone is welcome to join the Zoom call using the link below. 

[Parkland Poets Reading on Zoom – Second Thursday Every Month]

Password: 2025

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Event Series: Spotlight, Open Mic

Authors & Presenters

Parkland Poets

Venue

Online

This year the Edmonton Poetry Festival turns 20! That’s 20 years coming together as a community to enjoy the varied poetic voices that ripple throughout our region. 20 years got us reflecting on the importance of community and how everyone – poets, artists, audiences, volunteers, collaborators and more – is essential to a successful festival. 

SO we’re throwing a birthday party for all our members and you’re invited. Not a member? Show up and we’ll make you one! We’ll have poetic performances from artists in the Festival, musical interludes (including Tzadeka and the Murder Hornettes), special guests, and of course, CAKE!  Refreshments will also be available for purchase / donation.

This event has been graciously sponsored by Curiocity Edmonton.

Registration: Admission is by donation. Registration is limited. To RSVP, click on the “Tickets” button and complete the form!

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Event Series: Showcase

Authors & Presenters

Tzadeka and the Murder Hornettes

Venue

Ortona Armory

This international anthology celebrates a world-historical moment: the first ever feminist revolution. The slogan chanted by the demonstrators in Iran is “Woman, Life, Freedom”, and it encompasses hopes and ideals for all people everywhere. This anthology echoes that cry.

Poets and translators living on four continents are represented in this anthology. Their poems are reflections on the present moment, denunciations of injustice, examinations of the poets’ own consciences, laments for the fallen, bitter curses, prayers, celebrations of life, and visions of a better future. The editors of this anthology, Bänoo Zan and Cy Strom, aim to raise awareness of the women’s revolution in Iran and show the world that this cause is alive and will not be put down.

Panelists Bänoo Zan, Cy Strom, Julie Rak and Alice Major will share readings from the anthology and thoughts on the impact of raising voices on issues such as this. This event will be hosted by Anindita Mukherjee.

Following the panel, there will also be an opportunity for Q&A and book signing. 

Registration: No registration required. Just show up!

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Event Series: Publishing, Spotlight

Authors & Presenters

Alice Major     Anindita Mukherjee     Bänoo Zan     Cy Strom     Julie Rak

Venue

Audreys Books

10702 Jasper Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB T5J 3J5 Canada

The Blinks 2025 is not your robot’s poetry! This year is all about “Putting the Art in Artificial Intelligence”. This event is invented and presented by the Stroll of Poets at the Edmonton Poetry Festival and has been for 20 years, making it one of the Festival’s founding events — and our birthday twin!

The Blinks is a challenge to create a poem (a Blink) to perform in 30 seconds, MAX! Any subject or style is welcome… though do remember there could be kids in the audience! Blinks can be snaps of fun, or searing. They can be sad, inspiring, or silly. Whatever tickles your neural nets.

If you don’t feel like showing off your smARTofficial intelligence, don’t you worry! You can still absolutely come along to sit back and enjoy the algo-rhythms. 

Please arrive in good time. Doors open at 6:30pm and the performance starts at 7:00pm.

Reader Sign-Up: If you would like to share a Blink, sign up in advance by sending an email to strollofpoetsblinks@gmail.com to be sent more detailed information. 

Registration: No registration is required for general attendance.

Admission: $5 cash at the door.

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Event Series: Showcase

Authors & Presenters

The Stroll of Poets Society

Venue

The Aviary

9314 111 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB T5G 0A3 Canada

A fixture in Edmonton’s jazz community, New Standards Music offers musicians, artists, and listeners a place to perform, meet, and network. Every Wednesday at The Common starting at 8pm. Come out and jam with Edmonton’s jazz musicians or simply watch the magic and get your groove on. 

On April 16, New Standards will feature Some-Sum, an Indigenous songwriter/storyteller, spoken word poet, freestyle performance artist & emcee from Amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.). After this featured performance, a jam session will follow with imaginative and improvised music.

To learn more about New Standards, please visit their Instagram page @new.standards.music

Venue Note: The Common is an 18+, minors prohibited establishment.

Registration: Not required! This is a free event. Simply show up and jam out.

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Event Series: Partnership, Spotlight, Open Mic (Jam)

Authors & Presenters

New Standards Music     Ryan James Summers (Some-Sum)

Venue

The Common

9910 109 St NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5K 1H5 Canada

Join the Edmonton Poetry Festival Society at The Society of Northern Alberta Printmakers (SNAP) Gallery for an exploration of why-wait-to-be-published-when-you-can-do-it-yourself chapbook production. Facilitators Big Al and Abbigail Ketsa offer a sample of some of the methods you could borrow or straight-up steal to create, decorate, and procreate your own unique chapbook. 

Members of the SNAP artist collective will also be providing a behind-the-scenes orientation into the printmaking techniques and technology available in the SNAP studios. Did you know they have a moveable type press? Well, you do know now! 

Registration: Limited. To secure your spot, send an email to abbigail@edmontonpoetryfestival.com with the subject line “How To Chapbook Registration”.

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Event Series: Partnership, Publishing, Outreach

Authors & Presenters

Abbigail Ketsa     Big Al McKee     The Society of Northern Alberta Print-Artists (SNAP)

Venue

SNAP Gallery

10572 115 St NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5H 3K6 Canada

Edmonton poets publish a steady flow of poetry books every year. Join us to celebrate a few which have been launched in recent months!

These books are wildly different in subject matter – from fertility to death, from the stories of Métis women to insomnia and the natural world. They are also diverse in the approach to poetic technique. But they are all full of feeling – grief and love, anger and dreaming.

At this event, audiences will hear a sample from each book. Their authors will also talk about their journey from getting a single poem down on the page to getting the whole work with a publisher’s logo on its spine.

This event will feature:

• Marilyn Dumont, with South Side of a Kinless River
• Chelsea Dingman, with I, Divided
• Kelly Shepherd, with Moon and Dog
• Patti Sinclair, with The Late Season
• Catherine Owen, with Moving to Delilah

…and will be hosted by Marco Melfi.

Doors will be at 6:00pm, and the event will run 6:30pm – 8:00pm.

Venue Note: This event will take place in the Fringe Grounds Café, in the lobby of the Fringe Theatre Arts Barns.

Registration: No registration necessary. Simply show up and enjoy!

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Event Series: Partnership, Publishing, Showcase

Authors & Presenters

Catherine Owen     Chelsea Dingman     Kelly Shepherd     Marilyn Dumont     Patti Sinclair

Venue

The Fringe Arts Barn

10330 84 Ave NW
Edmonton, Alberta T6E 4B4 Canada

Join The Polyglot for an inspiring evening with three Indigenous poets who speak multiple languages and are actively engaged in playing, experimenting, and revitalizing their languages through poetry. This reading and discussion explores how arts-based language reclamation and polyglottism (Cree, English, Ojibwe, Spanish, French, Polish) shapes their poetry and reverberates out to the whole community. The poets – Mackenzie Ground, Chelsea Vowel, and Anna Marie Sewell – are all published in âniskôverberation, The Polyglot’s latest issue, which is available for free download at thepolyglotmagazine.com.

Venue Note: This event will take place in the lobby of the Fringe Arts Barn.

Registration: No registration is required. Simply show up and enjoy!

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Event Series: Publishing, Outreach, Showcase

Authors & Presenters

Anna Marie Sewell     Chelsea Vowel     Mackenzie Ground     The Polyglot

Venue

The Fringe Arts Barn

10330 84 Ave NW
Edmonton, Alberta T6E 4B4 Canada

A chime sounds, and a voice enters the quiet circle of listeners. Join Poetry & Stillness for poems in a quiet space. 

This event invites participants to bring poems (by you or someone else) to share. Seated in a circle, each participant reads, in turn, one poem – no introduction or commentary, just the poem. There is a moment of quiet attention while listeners absorb the words. Then the next reader speaks.

Poems can range across any subject, form or focus. The guiding spirit is shared listening, as each individual voice speaks into the room’s still space. In all the applause and celebration of festival events, this is a time to step back and remember an essential root of poetry: the quiet space where words are first brought together.

Doors are at 10:30am, and the reading begins at 11am. 

Registration: Limited to 25 participants. To secure your spot, please send an email with the subject “Poetry & Stillness Registration” noting your interest to alice@edmontonpoetryfestival.com

Venue Accessibility Note: Please note that Unity of Edmonton is not wheelchair accessible.

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Event Series: Outreach

Venue

Unity of Edmonton

11715 108 Ave NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5H 1B8 Canada

Microphones… how do they work? Magnets? Maybe. Magic? Probably. Where do they even come from? Micronesia? Obviously. 

This Edmonton Poetry Festival workshop / open mic led by a team of microphone assassins, assistants and technicians will amplify your knowledge of this humble tool, proffer some tricks to add to your bag, and a little bit of practice time to prepare for when you are next up up on the microphone. 

1:00pm – 3:00pm. Come one, come all, and feel free to stay after the workshop / open mic to catch THE TWENTY Launch, Part One!

Registration: No registration required. Simply show up and enjoy!

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Event Series: Outreach

Venue

CO*LAB

9641 102A Ave NW
Edmonton, AB T5H 0G3 Canada

Come celebrate THE TWENTY Youth Poetry Collection! The Edmonton Poetry Festival Society (EPFS) is launching a youth poetry book to showcase up-and-coming voices in poetry, as part of the festival’s 20th anniversary! The publication features 20 unique and thoughtful young poets responding to the prompt “my turn of phrase”. This event will feature 10 poets in the collection (along with another 10 at Part Two), plus opportunities for performance, connection and community for poets of every age with an open mic component.

This event is supported by The EAC’s Connections & Exchanges Grant Program.

Don’t forget to check out the original artwork featured in the book, by artist Jess Amos, on display at the COLAB gallery, April 19 thru 26th, 2025.

Registration: No registration required. Simply show up and enjoy!

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Event Series: Publishing, Outreach, Showcase

Venue

CO*LAB

9641 102A Ave NW
Edmonton, AB T5H 0G3 Canada

GOOOOOOOOD EEEEEEEEEEVENING!  

The Edmonton Poetry Festival Society 

is proud to present, to feature, to showcase, 

to provide for your viewing and aural pleasure 

a curated evening of poetics, politics, dance, & culture

such as you are not likely to see the likes of any other place 

but at The Lorne Cardinal Theatre on April 19 

as part of Theatre Networks’ celebrated Phoenix Series. 

Birthed out of the Great Western Plains brain of Daniel Poitras, a half-breed poet form the Paul First Nation  – this curated collection of curios features: The “Ladies First” ensemble of Nermeen Youssef, Anna Marie Sewell, Luciana Ana Erregue; Ryan Fitzpatrick; Sage Giroux; Chanel Klein; Kat Kat; and Jayme Poitras.

Doors are at 6:30pm, poetry starts at 7:00pm.

This event has been graciously sponsored by Curiocity Edmonton.

Venue Note: The Lorne Cardinal Theatre is located within The Roxy Theatre building. Please note that The Roxy has no designated parking, though there is street parking available in the area. 

Admission: By donation at entry.

Registration: Limited. To secure your spot, click the “Tickets” button and go to “Book Now”.

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Event Series: Partnership, Showcase

Authors & Presenters

Anna Marie Sewell     Chanel Klein     Daniel Poitras     Jayme Poitras     Ladies First Ensemble     Luciana Erregue-Sacchi     Nermeen Youssef     Ryan Fitzpatrick     Sage Giroux     Theatre Network

Venue

The Roxy Theatre

10708 124 St
Edmonton, Alberta T5M 0H1 Canada

“A Poet is a nightingale who sits in darkness, and sings to cheer its own solitude with sweet sounds; his auditors are as men entranced by the melody of an unseen musician, who feel that they are moved and softened, yet know not whence or why.”  ― Percy Bysshe Shelley

The Nightingale is an offbeat Edmonton-based spoken word series that is sponsored by The Syndicate of Underground Poets (SUP). 

You are all cordially invited to attend this awesome open mic, the first fifteen minutes of which will feature the illustrious David Brydges. The master of ceremonies will be the astonishing Kathy Fisher. 

A prime location for poetry readings, this event takes place in The Kasbar — an exotic lounge with a superb Greek Mediterranean menu and an equally excellent selection of spirits, ale, and wine. 

Under the auspices of the stars, The Nightingale dares you to partake in an exciting evening of comedy and drama. Come and forge new friendships, or mend old ones anew. But above all, come and sate your sense of adventure – come and have fun!

All disciplines are welcome, including prose. Doors are at 6:30pm, and the show is 7:00-9:30pm.

To learn more about The Nightingale, visit [their Facebook page here].

Admission: Pass-of-the-hat donations.

Registration: No registration required! Just show up.

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Event Series: Spotlight, Open Mic

Authors & Presenters

David C. Brydges     Kathy Fisher

Venue

Yianni's Taverna Kasbar (Downstairs)

10444 82 Ave NW
Edmonton, AB T6E 2A2 Canada

Literary Editions is co-hosted by the Edmonton Poetry Festival.

This annual poetry event will feature online readings from UAlberta Press’ newest collections: This Sweet Rupture by Omar Ramadan, When Whales Went Back to the Water by Lisa Baird, and Python Love by Shannon Arntfield, all hosted by Aaron Kreuter. 

About Books & Authors:

The poems in Omar Ramadan’s This Sweet Rupture explore family secrets, diaspora, food culture, and war’s impact on personal narratives while navigating cultural identity as a first-generation Lebanese-Canadian.

Lisa Baird’s poems in When Whales Went Back to the Water traverse through joy, loss, parenting, domestic violence, and isolation. Steely, tender, and sensual, this collection creates a reverent container for a broken world.

Shannon Arntfield’s Python Love is a collection of free verse poetry weaving together experiences of childhood abuse and birth trauma from the perspective of a medical doctor who is also a mother.

The new books of each reader will be available from Audreys Books in Edmonton and area, and the University of Alberta Press’ website.

In-Person & Online: This is a hybrid event with both an in-person and online attendance option. Those wishing to attend in-person can join a listening party in Henderson Hall (1-17 Rutherford Library South, University of Alberta Campus).  There will be refreshments. Those wishing to attend online can join via Zoom. A Zoom link will be sent out to all registrants the day before the event and again one hour before the start. 

Registration: Free and limited. To secure your spot, click the “Tickets” button and register.

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Event Series: Spotlight, Publishing

Authors & Presenters

Aaron Kreuter     Lisa Baird     Omar Ramadan     Shannon Arntfield     University of Alberta Press

Venue

Rutherford Library South

University of Alberta, 11208 89 Ave NW
Edmonton, AB T6G 2J8 Canada

Edmonton has a rich history of local publishers who bring many emerging and experienced poets to readers. Join our showcase of some of these publishers, featuring  Funicular Magazine, The Bolo Tie Collective, Hungry Zine, Agatha Press and NeWest Press. This event includes featured readings from each of the presses. Come listen, ask a question, and buy issues and books! 

Doors will open at 6:30pm, and the readings will begin at 7:00pm. This event will take place in the lobby of the Arts Barns. Light snacks and drinks are available for purchase. All are welcome! 

Registration: No registration is required. Simply show up and have fun!

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Event Series: Publishing, Showcase

Authors & Presenters

Agatha Press     Bolo Tie Collective     Carmyn Effa     Funicular Magazine     Gavin Bradley     Hungry Zine     Jaspreet Singh     Jayden Tobert     NeWest Press     Omar Ramadan     Su Croll     Zoey McRae

Venue

The Fringe Arts Barn

10330 84 Ave NW
Edmonton, Alberta T6E 4B4 Canada

A fixture in Edmonton’s jazz community, New Standards Music offers musicians, artists, and listeners a place to perform, meet, and network. Every Wednesday at The Common starting at 8pm. Come out and jam with Edmonton’s jazz musicians or simply watch the magic and get your groove on. 

On April 16, New Standards will feature

Poet Laureate Shima Aisha Robinson (AKA Dwennimmen), who is an amiskwaciy-wâskahikan (Edmonton) born student, community builder, poet and spoken word artist who embodies – with every literary and scholarly effort – the ancient meaning of her chosen pen name. After this featured performance, a jam session will follow with imaginative and improvised music.

To learn more about New Standards, please visit their Instagram page @new.standards.music

Venue Note: The Common is an 18+, minors prohibited establishment.

Registration: Not required! This is a free event. Simply show up and jam out.

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Event Series: Partnership, Spotlight, Open Mic (Jam)

Authors & Presenters

Dwennimmen (Shima Robinson)     New Standards Music

Venue

The Aviary

9314 111 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB T5G 0A3 Canada

Are you a poet or someone who appreciates poetry? If so, Parkland Poets invites you to join them every second (online) and fourth (in person) Thursday of the month for their Reading Series! This series is open to everyone and free of charge.

This event is the IN PERSON reading event, and it will be held at the Stony Plain Public Library. Doors will open at 7:00pm, and the poetry will start at 7:15pm.

At each meeting, there will be three poets featured who have signed up in advance to deliver an 8-10 minute performance. Following the featured readers, there will be an open mic session, where audience members can sign up (on the night itself) to deliver a brief 2-4 minute reading.

You don’t need to sign up in advance to read at the open mic!

Sign Up:

Volunteers are needed to fulfill the roles of Mic Host/Emcee at each reading. 

You can also sign up to be a featured reader! It is a great way to promote a new book or poetry-related event.

To sign up for any of these roles for this session (or future sessions) please [click here] to check for openings and to provide your name and information.

Registration: No registration required! Simply show up and take it all in.

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Event Series: Spotlight, Open Mic

Authors & Presenters

Parkland Poets

Venue

Stony Plain Public Library

5216 50 St
Stony Plain, Alberta T7Z 0N5 Canada

Want to learn a little more about the world’s shortest poem? Join David Brydges, Poet Emissary of The Ontario Poetry Society, as he leads a workshop on how to write some haiku and have fun!

This workshop is free, and will be in the Green Room at St. George’s Anglican Church.

Registration: Limited. To secure your spot, send an email to mybrydges@yahoo.ca with the subject line “Haiku 101 Registration”.

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Event Series: Spotlight

Authors & Presenters

David C. Brydges

Venue

St. George's Anglican Church

11733 87 Ave NW
Edmonton, Alberta T6G 0Y4 Canada

C’est le 10e anniversaire du French Twist, présenté dans le cadre du Edmonton Poetry Festival !

Pierrette Requier animera la soirée dans les deux langues officielles, créant un pont linguistique et culturel, pour en faire une vitrine par excellence des diverses voix artistiques francophones, qu’ils soient dramaturges, musiciens, ou poètes.

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It’s the 10th anniversary of the French Twist, presented as part of the Edmonton Poetry Festival!

Pierrette Requier will host the evening in both official languages, creating a linguistic and cultural bridge, making it a showcase of the excellence of the diverse artistic voices of French-speaking playwrights, musicians and poets.

To learn more about Le RAFA and this event, please visit [their website]!

Registration: Aucune inscription n’est nécessaire. Il suffit de se présenter ! / No registration is required. Simply show up!

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Event Series: Partnership, Showcase

Authors & Presenters

Pierrette Requier     RAFA

Venue

CAVA (Centre d'arts visuels de l'Alberta) Gallery

9103 95 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB T6C 1Z4 Canada

Co-hosted by Jennifer Bowering Delisle (Edmonton) and Sneha Madhavan-Reese (Ottawa), this online open mic will feature readings from poets who identify as parents–though poems need not be about parenting.

Open mic signup will take place at the start of the event — first-come, first-served. Although everyone is welcome to attend the event, open mic spots are reserved for those who identify as parents.

This event is organized by the League of Canadian Poets Parenting Poets Committee and will not be recorded.

Registration: Free and limited. To secure your spot, click on the “Tickets” button and register for the call.

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Event Series: Spotlight

Authors & Presenters

Jennifer Bowering Delisle     Sneha Madhavan-Reese     The League of Canadian Poets

Venue

Online

This Edmonton Poetry Festival open-mic event is dedicated to those with chapbooks. 

What even is a chapbook, anyway? What can a chapbook be? DO YOU HAVE A CHAPBOOK? Then bring it — bring your chapbook, READ from your chapbook. Show us, tell us, show and tell us, what is your secret chapbook’s secret name?

If you have extra copies, great! Bring them and trade them with other fellow poets. Perhaps you would even consider contributing a copy of your chapbook to the Edmonton Poetry Festival Chapbook Library.  

Don’t have a chapbook? Don’t you worry! Save this date, but ALSO mark April 17th on your calendar, which conveniently happens to be the Festival’s How To Chapbook Workshop. 

Oh! And since you’ll already be at CO*LAB, you should also check out THE TWENTY Launch, Part Two, which will follow this fair at 3pm!

Registration: No registration required. Simply show up and enjoy!

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Event Series: Publishing, Outreach

Venue

CO*LAB

9641 102A Ave NW
Edmonton, AB T5H 0G3 Canada

Come celebrate THE TWENTY Youth Poetry Collection! The Edmonton Poetry Festival Society (EPFS)  is launching a youth poetry book to showcase up-and-coming voices in poetry, as part of the festival’s 20th anniversary! The publication features 20 unique and thoughtful young poets responding to the prompt “my turn of phrase”. This event will feature 10 poets in the collection, plus opportunities for performance, connection and community for poets of every age with an open mic component.

This event is supported by The EAC’s Connections & Exchanges Grant Program.

Don’t forget to check out the original artwork featured in the book, by artist Jess Amos, on display at the COLAB gallery, April 19 thru 26th, 2025.

Registration:No registration required. Simply show up and enjoy!

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Event Series: Publishing, Outreach, Showcase

Venue

CO*LAB

9641 102A Ave NW
Edmonton, AB T5H 0G3 Canada

Calling poetic kids of all ages! Join us for an hour of word play to goof around with rhymes, sounds, and partnered poem-writing. This online workshop is intended for you and your child, you and your caregiver, you and your sibling, you and your grandparent, or you and any writing pal. If you’d rather fly solo, that’s ok too! Poet and parent Kim Mannix will guide you through a few fun games and imaginative ways to approach writing poetry at any age.

Registration: Limited to 12 registrants (and therefore 24 people, should everyone choose to join with their poetry partner). To secure your spot, please send an email with the subject line “Poetry Playroom Registration” to kim@edmontonpoetryfestival.com.

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Event Series: Outreach

Authors & Presenters

Kim Mannix

Venue

Online

Edmonton’s Poet Laureate Shima Robinson (AKA Dwennimmen)  invites you to come down to The Aviary for An Evening With The Poet Laureate.  This 2025 Edmonton Poetry Festival finale event will feature samplings of Dwennimmen’s unique flow and form, including: insight and presentation of works commissioned during her Laureate tenure; and a musical, collaborative exploration of Dwennimmen’s earlier work such as her first book Horn.

This performance will feature a special musical guest artist!

This event has been graciously sponsored by Curiocity Edmonton. 

Registration: Registration method is to be confirmed. Stay tuned for more information!

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Event Series: Showcase

Authors & Presenters

Dwennimmen (Shima Robinson)

Venue

The Aviary

9314 111 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB T5G 0A3 Canada