Job Description Summary: The Youth Coordinator works as part of a collaborative team helping Vancouver Poetry House maintain our youth programs and expand our relationships with associated partners. Position: The Youth Coordinator oversees the WordPlay Poets outreach program and coordinates the Hullabaloo Festival, a 3-day youth poetry slam event. This … Continued

The Vancouver Poetry House Annual General Meeting will be held on Sunday, August 30th, 4pm,  Enabling Arts 343 Railway Street Vancouver A virtual option will be available. LET US KNOW IF YOU WILL BE ATTENDING  Agenda (reports will be added/Linked to agenda) Everyone is welcome to the AGM but only members … Continued

Verses 2026 – Festival Overview Johnny Trinh, Artistic Director Statement The 2026 Verses Festival of Words marks the culmination of a four-year vision of Executive Artistic Director Johnny D Trinh, with the theme: Intimate Dialogues. Upon the return of in-person programming, the festival’s focus has been centred on gathering, community, … Continued

  For Black History Month we once again share a list of community groups, nonprofits, historical resources, and artists.  With the reelection of Donald Trump there was an additional focus last year on black media/journalism, organizations serving historically underserved communities, and support for black voices in the arts. This remains … Continued

Nominations for recipients of the 2026 Zaccheus Jackson Nyce Memorial Award are now open. We encourage you to nominate someone who fits the criteria for the award (below), with particular consideration for a person who doesn’t ask for, or receive much recognition or praise, but deserves it. We recognize the … Continued

  The Vancouver Poetry House Annual General Meeting will be held on Sunday, August 24, 3pm, at 111 W Hastings St #210. A virtual option will be available. LET US KNOW IF YOU WILL BE ATTENDING Agenda (reports will be added to agenda) Everyone is welcome to the AGM but only … Continued

Vancouver Poetry Slam FINALS are tomorrow night!! Come find out who’ll be crowned the 2025 Van Slam champion and represent Vancouver in the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam. MONDAY, APR 7 @ Shamshiri Caveman (139 Keefer St) and Online Doors: 7:00 PM  |  Show: 8:00 PM $8 Advance  |  $10-$15 sliding … Continued

We’re thrilled to announce the full schedule for the 15th annual Verses Festival of Words!!! The festival theme is “Amplify,” focusing on uplifting artists with a long history of community building and raising awareness of social issues. As always, we look forward to presenting 10 days of incredible spoken word, including … Continued

Register as a Storm Poet for the 2025 Canadian Individual Poetry Slam!! CIPS takes place from April 16 to April 19, 2025. All competing poets must be available for CIPS Orientation on the morning of April 16th, as well as evening competitions (beginning at 7 PM PST) on April 16, … Continued

In partnership with Historic Joy Kogawa House, we’re excited to present the Amplify: Spoken Word Intensive! This intensive will bring a cohort of poets together to be mentored by a world class faculty from March 19 to 22, 2025. Members of the intensive cohort will spend time developing work and … Continued

Due to a Covid exposure at Historic Joy Kogawa House, we’re moving this Thursday’s Poetry Jam #1 event to ONLINE ONLY. But we’re still looking forward to hosting you for this first event! To join, register HERE.

  For Black History Month we once again share a list of community groups, nonprofits, historical resources, and artists.  With the reelection of Donald Trump, who has already taken aim at federal diversity initiatives and also dissolved the President’s Committee on The Arts and Humanities, there is additional focus this … Continued

We’re excited to be announce that we’ll be launching a new hybrid event series in partnership with Historic Joy Kogawa House: POETRY JAM! Starting on February 20th, we’ll be hosting the first ever Poetry Jam! We’ll be hosting this event in-person and online on the 3rd Thursday of every month! … Continued

Organizer a slam series in Canada and want to register a rep to compete in the 2025 Canadian Individual Poetry Slam?? Registration for slam series is open exclusively to series from now until February 28, 2025! To register your series, complete this form. Are you an individual poet hoping to storm … Continued

Nominations for recipients of the 2025 Zaccheus Jackson Nyce Memorial Award are now open. We encourage you to nominate someone who fits the criteria for the award (below), with particular consideration for a person who doesn’t ask for, or receive much recognition or praise, but deserves it. We recognize the … Continued

  The Vancouver Poetry House Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday, August 17, 3pm, at the Historic Joy Kogawa House (1450 West 64th Avenue Vancouver, BC V6P 2N4). A virtual option is available using Zoom. Let us Know You’re attending: Please Register to Attend AGM Here Everyone is welcome … Continued

For Black History Month we once again share a list of community groups, nonprofits, historical resources, and artists. The list of black-led nonprofits contains links to websites and/or donation information. If you want to expand your poetry reading list, we include an extensive (and growing) list of recommendations. We have … Continued

Nurturing as a medicine is the focus of this year’s festival. We celebrate the power of the spoken word with the 2023 theme, Gathering Found Family Back Around The Table. Spoken word and page poets, storytellers, singer-songwriters and improvisers will join us at the festival, including: Sheri-D Wilson, Louise B. … Continued

Gratitude, honouring peers, and recognizing excellence are vital parts of building community. Verses Festival of Words | Vancouver Poetry House is pleased to continue the tradition of stewarding the Zaccheus Jackson Nyce Memorial Award that is now open for submissions until April 10, 2023 @ 11:59 PM PST. Via online submission: https://forms.gle/9zqvXiU9ojCKhVDY7 … Continued