Read an Excerpt from Gender Failure!

One of our most highly anticipated shows – Gender Failure – has already been touring festivals for a little while, but Verses is happy to host the official book launch! The festival is only a month away, but if you can’t wait for that, you can click here to read … Continued

Cliffs Notes: Cheryl Maddalena

To get you prepped for the onslaught of artistic awesomeness that’s coming your way in April, we’re running a series highlighting our amazing performers. Because you are busy and important, we’ll keep it short. 100 words or less, (almost) everything you need to know. Name: Cheryl Maddalena Hails from: Boise, Idaho Best … Continued

Poets in the Press: Zaccheus Jackson

Check out this great interview of Zaccheus Jackson with Grounded Magazine: “Through that act of attrition by getting up there and just saying those words I made myself accountable to my community. And so I don’t have a shadow of a doubt that spoken word and this community right here, … Continued

Cliffs Notes: Zaccheus Jackson

To get you prepped for the onslaught of artistic awesomeness that’s coming your way in April, we’re running a series highlighting our amazing performers. Because you are busy and important, we’ll keep it short. 100 words or less, (almost) everything you need to know. Name: Zaccheus Jackson Hails from: Vancouver, British Columbia … Continued

The Verses Festival Bus Shelter Photo Contest!

This year, we are kicking our advertising efforts up a notch with awesome bus shelter ads all around the city! In addition – we are holding a photo contest and the prizes are Verses tickets and Festival Passes!! There are 10 ads in total which will be up starting from … Continued

Festival Schedule Released!

The moment we’ve all been waiting for is finally here! 8 days and over 80 poets – the BIGGEST Verses Festival of Words  is coming to Vancouver April 5-12th with 34 events. Who’s going to be there, you ask? What kind of events are we talking about? CLICK HERE TO … Continued

Apply to be an Artist at Verses 2014

Applications are open for artists interested in featuring at the 2014 Verses Festival of Words. Next year’s festival will take place April 5–12, 2014 at venues surrounding Vancouver’s Commercial Drive neighbourhood. We’re looking for writers from all genres, especially those who are practicing in unconventional areas of the oral–literary spectrum. … Continued

Van Slam Finals

Congratulations to all of our poets who performed last night, and particularly to the 2013 Van Slam team, Floyd, Erin Kirsh, Jillian Christmas, Duncan Shields, and Zaccheus Jackson. One of the strongest Van slam finals of all time. Here, read a recap. Thanks also to our brilliant feature Truth Is, … Continued

HUSH Magazine: Making a case for slam poetry

Check out this article on slam poetry by HUSH Magazine: Slam Poetry. Performance Poetry. Spoken Word.  Upon hearing these words, you might think of the following: A room full of solemn, mime-like creatures dressed in black berets and turtlenecks. Rhythmic snapping in time with the slow drone of a poet … Continued

Aaannnnnndddd we’re off!

After much travail and bated breath, the day is finally here! That’s right, the 2013 Verses Festival of Words kicks off tonight with the Vancouver Poetry Slam Finals Night at the Rio Theatre. You can follow along with all the fun on the blog, or you can find us on … Continued

Word of the week: Furore

Every week we’ll be featuring an exceptional, useful, or just plain weird word. Use it to inspire a poem, impress your coworkers, or scare away the person sitting too close to you on the bus.

Past Tense: William Shakespeare

A weekly post featuring poems by innovators who continue to inspire the artists who will take the stage at Verses Festival of Words. Sonnet 100 by William Shakespeare Where art thou, Muse, that thou forget’st so long To speak of that which gives thee all thy might? Spend’st thou thy … Continued

Cliffs Notes: Sheri-D Wilson

To get you prepped for the onslaught of artistic awesomeness that’s coming your way in April, we’re running a series highlighting our amazing performers. Because you are busy and important, we’ll keep it short. 100 words or less, (almost) everything you need to know. Name: Sheri-D Wilson Hails from: Calgary, … Continued

Cliffs Notes: Regie Cabico

To get you prepped for the onslaught of artistic awesomeness that’s coming your way in April, we’re running a series highlighting our amazing performers. Because you are busy and important, we’ll keep it short. 100 words or less, (almost) everything you need to know. Name: Regie Cabico Hails from: New … Continued

Cliffs Notes: Veda Hille

To get you prepped for the onslaught of artistic awesomeness that’s coming your way in April, we’re running a series highlighting our amazing performers. Because you are busy and important, we’ll keep it short. 100 words or less, (almost) everything you need to know. Name: Veda Hille Hails from: Vancouver, … Continued

Word of the Week: Balderdash

Every week we’ll be featuring an exceptional, useful, or just plain weird word. Use it to inspire a poem, impress your coworkers, or scare away the person sitting too close to you on the bus.

Past Tense: Al Purdy

A weekly post featuring poems by innovators who continue to inspire the artists who will take the stage at Verses Festival of Words. Listening to Myself by Al Purdy see myself staggering through deep snow lugging blocks of wood yesterday an old man almost falling from bodily weakness — look … Continued

Cliffs Notes: CR Avery

To get you prepped for the onslaught of artistic awesomeness that’s coming your way in April, we’re running a series highlighting our amazing performers. Because you are busy and important, we’ll keep it short. 100 words or less, (almost) everything you need to know. Name: CR Avery Hails from: Vancouver, … Continued

Word of the Week: Oblige

Every week we’ll be featuring an exceptional, useful, or just plain weird word. Use it to inspire a poem, impress your coworkers, or scare away the person sitting too close to you on the bus.

Past Tense: Elizabeth Bishop

A weekly post featuring poems by innovators who continue to inspire the artists who will take the stage at Verses Festival of Words. Argument by Elizabeth Bishop Days that cannot bring you near or will not, Distance trying to appear something more obstinate, argue argue argue with me endlessly neither … Continued

Cliffs Notes: Truth is…

To get you prepped for the onslaught of artistic awesomeness that’s coming your way in April, we’re running a series highlighting our amazing performers. Because you are busy and important, we’ll keep it short. 100 words or less, (almost) everything you need to know. Name: Truth is… Hails from: Toronto, … Continued

Cliffs Notes: Wayde Compton

To get you prepped for the onslaught of artistic awesomeness that’s coming your way in April, we’re running a series highlighting our amazing performers. Because you are busy and important, we’ll keep it short. 100 words or less, (almost) everything you need to know. Name: Wayde Compton Hails from: Vancouver, … Continued

Word of the Week: Fraught

Every week we’ll be featuring an exceptional, useful, or just plain weird word. Use it to inspire a poem, impress your coworkers, or scare away the person sitting too close to you on the bus.

Past Tense: WB Yeats

A weekly post featuring poems by innovators who continue to inspire the artists who will take the stage at Verses Festival of Words. A Coat by WB Yeats I made my song a coat Covered with embroideries Out of old mythologies From heel to throat; But the fools caught it, … Continued

Cliffs Notes: Tara Hardy

To get you prepped for the onslaught of artistic awesomeness that’s coming your way in April, we’re running a series highlighting our amazing performers. Because you are busy and important, we’ll keep it short. 100 words or less, (almost) everything you need to know. Name: Tara Hardy Hails from: Seattle, … Continued

Cliffs Notes: Beau Sia

To get you prepped for the onslaught of artistic awesomeness that’s coming your way in April, we’re running a series highlighting our amazing performers. Because you are busy and important, we’ll keep it short. 100 words or less, (almost) everything you need to know. Name: Beau Sia Hails from: Los … Continued