Festival 2023  Events Schedule

Celebrate National Poetry Month with a delightful afternoon of poetry featuring Medgine Mathurin and Emily Riddle and hosted by Writer in Residence Tololwa Mollel. An open mic session for those who are interested in sharing their own work will be included. Co-presented with the Edmonton Poetry Festival.

Authors & Presenters

Emily Riddle     Medgine Mathurin     Tololwa Mollel

Venue

Strathcona County Library

410 Festival Lane
Sherwood Park, AB T8A 5P7 Canada

Sign Up for the Blinks Ignition!

Sign up to start your poetry engine and take part in this fast-paced evening where dozens of poets will step up to the stage and turn the key.

What are The Blinks ?

It’s Edmonton’s own feat of poetic engineering, a sleek sparkplug of words, a poem delivered in—gasp—less than 30 seconds. After you sign up here, prepare your own 30 second poem – rhyme, rap or haiku.

Sign up by Saturday, April 15th.

This event is a co-presentation by The Edmonton Poetry Festival and The Stroll of Poets

Venue

The Aviary

9314 111 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB T5G 0A3 Canada

A Thousand Words is a multi-genre invitation combining poetry’s focus on sound, language and imagery into video form! It’s a video open mic: record a simple reading of your poem or layer and pair it with your music, photographs or artwork.

Submit your video here

5 videos will be selected and showcased at the this year’s A Thousand Words event on Monday, April 24th at the CO*LAB (9641 102A Avenue).

Hosted by Shima Robinson

Pay-what-you-can. Suggested donation $10.

Authors & Presenters

Dwennimmen

Venue

CO*LAB

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

This exciting night of poetry will feature readings from the Edmonton Poet Laureate – Titilope Sonuga, the St. Albert Poet Laureate – Lauren Seal, and members of a local youth poets collective called Ink Movement.

Hosted by Shima Robinson

Pay-what-you-can
Suggested donation $10

Authors & Presenters

Dwennimmen     Ink Movement     Lauren Seal     Titilope Sonuga

Venue

CO*LAB

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

Sublime Intervention Collective (SIC) is back for EPF 2023 – Ignite Unite with a poetry showcase and live painting!

Host: Shima Robinson

Pay-what-you-can
Suggested donation $10

Authors & Presenters

Dwennimmen     Kihew Giroux     Lydia LeBlanc     MadJohn     Spirit Tongues     Sublime Intervention Collective

Venue

CO*LAB

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

Charlee Queen XO will be your feature poet with accompaniment from Reclaim Collective, a 5-piece group comprised of some of Edmonton’s finest jazz musicians. Local poet, Yusi, will kick off this night of music and poetry with a performance set of her original work.

Host: Shima Robinson

Pay-what-you-can
Suggested donation $10

Authors & Presenters

Charlee Queen XO     Dwennimmen     Reclaim Collective     Yusi

Venue

CO*LAB

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

Three poets who are also parents discuss the ramifications, challenges and joys of being parenting poets.

Child minding will be provided by EPFS for up to 8 children between the ages of 6 and 11 during the event. Please arrive 15 minutes early to access this service.

Host: Kim Mannix

Pay-what-you-can
Suggested donation $10

Authors & Presenters

Jennifer Bowering Delisle     Jessica Coles     Kim Mannix     Samantha Jones

Venue

CO*LAB

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

This hybrid poetry reading event will feature readings from UAlberta Press’ newest collections: Monitoring Station by Sonja Ruth Greckol, Indie Rock by Joe Bishop, and there’s more by Uchechukwu Peter Umezurike.

Co-presented by Edmonton Poetry Festival and University of Alberta Press.

This is a hybrid event. There will be a physical gathering in Henderson Hall and there will also be the opportunity to join via Zoom. The Zoom link will be sent out the day before the event and again one hour before the start.

University of Alberta
Rutherford Library South
Room 1-16

Authors & Presenters

Joe Bishop     Sonja Ruth Greckol     Uchechukwu Peter Umezurike

Venue

Rutherford Library South

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

Jully Black made a gesture towards reconciliation by changing one word in our national anthem. This workshop is focused on how your poems can speak truth and – word by word – unmask fear, release dread, share pain, welcome courage – save kindness – help us remove barriers to reconciliation. Image by image, can you create a room in which others can dwell, a room your reader can furnish?

Facilitator: Jane Munro

$15 Advanced Registration
$20 at the door

Authors & Presenters

Jane Munro

Venue

CO*LAB

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

Join us for this EPF 2023 presentation of live readings from Meghan Eaker and Jane Munro.

Host: Shima Robinson

Pay-what-you-can
Suggested donation: $10

Authors & Presenters

Dwennimmen     Jane Munro     Meghan Eaker

Venue

CO*LAB

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

The Edmonton Indigenous Poets Society is returning for EPF 2023! This is a showcase of Indigenous Voices in amiskwaciy-wäskhikan curated by the Edmonton Indigenous Poets Society. Featuring readings by Paige Cardinal, Stephanie Giroux, Robin Hunter, Dan Poitras, Chasidy, Carley Lizotte, and Ty Bruce.

Host: Some Sum

Pay-what-you-can
Suggested donation $10

Authors & Presenters

Carley Lizotte     Chasidy     Daniel Poitras     Paige Cardinal     Robin Hunter     Some-Sum     Stephanie Giroux     Ty Bruce

Venue

CO*LAB

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

Participants in this workshop will be invited to challenge dominant discourses about poetry, identity, community, and activism. They will be invited to approach writing form a more global perspective and to consider its impact on the world. They will be given strategies to write for a global audience.

Facilitator: Bänoo Zan

$15 Advance Registration
$20 at the door

Authors & Presenters

Bänoo Zan

Venue

CO*LAB

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

Sometimes language fails us. Especially in some of our most difficult moments. Perhaps our vocabulary isn’t enough to express what’s going on or what we’ve experienced is beyond words.

In this workshop we will find ways to create new words and sounds that can help us approach difficult subject matter in a new, creative and even fun way. We’ll look at ways to help our bodies articulate their experience and challenge ourselves in how we speak about trauma. We’ll approach these experiences as something that can provide new, exciting information about ourselves. This is not a therapy session, but it might feel therapeutic when we’re done. Arrive with an open mind and a willing heart to explore the possibilities of change.

Facilitator: RC Weslowski

$15 Advance Registration
$20 at the door

Authors & Presenters

RC Weslowski

Venue

CO*LAB

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

Poésie à Haute Voix est une invitation pour les Francophones, ceux qui parlent Franglais et ceux qui ont le courage de dépoussiérer leur français et de se renouer avec leur amour pour la langue française. Rassemblons-nous à travers un atelier d’écriture et un micro ouvert. Animé par Medgine Mathurin.

Poésie à Haute Voix is an invitation for Francophones, those who speak Frenglish and those brave enough to dust their French off the shelf and reconnect to their love for the French language. Let us gather through writing workshop and open mic. Hosted by Medgine Mathurin.

$15 Advance Registration
$20 at the door

Authors & Presenters

Medgine Mathurin

Venue

CO*LAB

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

Food for Thought is a catered event that is all about sparking your interest in local magazines that have published poetry. Take this opportunity to experience some of the poetry that has been published in The Polyglot, Funicular, and Hungry Zine. The editors of each magazine will be sharing a few words about their publication. Read on for information on each of the poets and magazines.

Host: Shima Robinson

Pay-what-you-can
Suggested donatuion $10

About Hungry Zine
Hungry Zine is an Edmonton-based, community-focused zine centering radical food stories, art and culture. Hungry centres voices that are missing from traditional food media. They are a space for sharing stories, art and building community around food.

About The Polyglot
Founded in amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton, Alberta) in 2016, The Polyglot is a biannual online magazine devoted to publishing multilingual poetry and art. In their first ten issues, they have published 188 writers and artists working in 51 languages. In 2021, they were named Alberta’s Best New Magazine.

About Funicular
Funicular Magazine publishes poetry and prose by new and emerging writers from Edmonton, across Canada, and around the world.

Authors & Presenters

Bree Taylor     Dwennimmen     Emily Riddle     Gavin Doyle     Kathryn Gwun-Yeen Lennon     Omar Ramadan     Yeon Soo Ha

Venue

CO*LAB

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

Join us for another fabulous Poetry Party! We will hear from four poets who graced our stages throughout the festival this year. Expect big energy, big feelings, and big fun!

Readings from Meghan Eaker, Bänoo Zan, RC Weslowski, and Charlee Queen XO.

Pay-what-you-can
Suggested donation $10

Authors & Presenters

Bänoo Zan     Charlee Queen XO     Meghan Eaker     RC Weslowski

Venue

CO*LAB

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

It’s time for local and emerging poets and spoken word artists to share their work!

Come read a poem or two at for this year’s penultimate event on Sunday, April 30th from 12:00pm to 2:00pm @ Audreys Books (10702 Jasper Ave). Readers will have 5 mins to read their work. Try something new or hone your reading performance skills!

Sign up by Saturday, April 15th. Click here to sign up as a reader.

Once you have registered, we’ll follow up to confirm your participation and provide reader guidelines for the event.

Host: Emma Elder

Pay-what-you-can
Suggested donation $10

Authors & Presenters

Emma Elder

Venue

Audreys Books

10702 Jasper Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB T5J 3J5 Canada

Please join Alice Major as she celebrates the launch of her newest poetry collection, Knife on Snow.

About Knife on Snow

What portents must you divine when a knife falls from the sky into your snow-covered yard? With Knife on Snow, Alice Major employs history, myth, and science to understand a world ablaze.

From the bitumen hills of Fort McMurray to the barren reaches of Iceland, Knife on Snow depicts an earth bathed in dragon’s breath, where we stand transfixed by the consequences of our actions, “both driver /and passenger—part-cause / part- witness of earth’s unwinding.” Yet in Alice Major’s expert hands this unwinding yields an evolution, a discovery, an acceptance of struggles’ end and the possibility of a tomorrow unknown.

About Alice Major

Alice Major has published twelve collections of poetry, two novels for young adults and an award-winning collection of essays about poetry and science. A long time advocate for the arts, Alice is the founder of the Edmonton Poetry Festival and was that city’s first poet laureate. In 2019, she received an honorary doctorate of letters from the University of Alberta. She has given hundreds of readings across Canada as well as in the UK, Australia and the U.S., and has received multiple awards for her writing, including the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artist Award. Knife on Snow is her newest collection.

Authors & Presenters

Alice Major

Venue

Audreys Books

10702 Jasper Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB T5J 3J5 Canada