Catherine Lewis, President
catherine_lewis@vancouverpoetryhouse.com
Born in Hong Kong and raised in Canada, Catherine Lewis (she/her) is a Chinese Canadian writer based on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples, colonially known as Vancouver. Her debut poetry chapbook Zipless (845 Press) is a finalist for two Bisexual Book Awards, and her work has been published in PRISM international, The Fiddlehead, The Humber Literary Review, Pulp Literature, and Plenitude Magazine. She has performed at the Verses Festival of Words, the Poets Corner Reading Series, and Word Vancouver.
A graduate of SFU’s Writer’s Studio Certificate program, she is a two-time Banff Centre Literary Arts alumna. Catherine holds a UBC Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Information Technology, and has worked as a software developer for over two decades.
She looks forward to serving her Vancouver Poetry House community.
Lucy Yang, Secretary
lucy_yang@vancouverpoetryhouse.com
Lucy Yang (she/her) is a teacher and writer on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples in British Columbia. She loves to explore language and literature with her students, and writes to examine feminist diasporic identities and intercultural pedagogy. She has taught in Metro Vancouver as well as in Australia, China and Taiwan.
Lucy’s writing has been featured in The New York Times, Arc Poetry Magazine, Contemporary Verse 2 and elsewhere; she is a finalist for the 2021 Foster Poetry Prize and her chapbook, Ju, is published in 2024. Her work with the Teacher Magazine of the BC Teachers’ Federation has won two Canadian Association of Labour Media awards. She holds degrees in English literature and literacy education at The University of British Columbia.
Parv Sachdeva, Treasurer
parv_sachdeva@vancouverpoetryhouse.com
Parv Sachdeva, (Quinn – He/Him) is a Vancouver based artist in the written, film media and music space who has been involved in the city’s artistic scenes at various capacities. He holds an undergrad in Electronics engineering and a Masters in Management from UBC Sauder School of Business and works in the financial world in his 9-5, and everything outside that is for artistic breathing and inspiration. He boasts an extraordinarily simple life that he leads, and takes absolute delight in walking and meeting people.
Amanda Eagleson, Director
amanda_eagleson@vancouverpoetryhouse.com
She/Her Pronouns
Amanda Eagleson grew up in Dubuque, Iowa (with brief stints in San Diego, California and Arnhem, Netherlands). she currently lives, works, and writes on the unceded territories of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, and Musqueam people (Vancouver, B.C.).
Her favourite things in nature are the smell of the earth right before a thunderstorm, lightning bugs (or fireflies if you must), hedgehogs, and octopuses.
It was the inspiration and support of individual poets, organisers, and volunteers within Vancouver’s slam community that kept her writing, reading, publishing, and sometimes breathing.
She hopes to contribute to the community that gave her this gift.
Michelle Ibalio, Director
michelle_ibalio@vancouverpoetryhouse.com
Michelle Ibalio (she/they) is a screenwriter based on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples, colonially known as Vancouver. A graduate of Film Production and Studies from the University of British Columbia, they’re always working on three or four different unfinished scripts. During their 9-5, Michelle works in IT and data analysis for the Federal Government. Recently, they can be found in and around the city, experimenting with film photography.
Mohini Takhar, Director
mohini_takhar@vancouverpoetryhouse.com
Mohini Takhar (she/her) is a disabled writer and multi-disciplinary artist based in Vancouver, BC. She is the author of the poetry chapbook Pieces of Me. She has performed spoken word at festivals and competitions such as the Verses Festival of Words, Canadian Individual Poetry Slam, Word Vancouver, and Voices of Today. Her work has been exhibited at the Roundhouse Community Centre and published in pulp MAG, The Mighty, Sweet Fist, Goat’s Milk Magazine, and Pearls 40: An Anthology Of Work By Douglas College Creative Writing Students.
She holds an Associate of Arts degree with a specialization in Creative Writing from Douglas College. Now, she is pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. She is currently working on her full-length poetry collection.
Takhar looks forward to giving back to the Vancouver Poetry House community.