Working in the emergent tradition of Afro-futurism, Komi Olaf’s surrealistic art and spoken word poetry bridges cultural divides and speaks of the immigrant’s perspective, bringing together disjunctive images with perfect unity in a playfully profound vision of a futuristic Diaspora.
If you’ve ever questioned the meaning of life in all it’s complexity and simplicity and how something could be both at the same time – come on down, you’ll be in good company. Using the definition of literary as both king and court jester, Floyd dazzles and delights turning even the unsightly parts of existence into something we can laugh about.
Philosofly is a spoken word artist with a wonderfully weird hip-hop approach to poetry. A member of the 2013 Canadian Festival of Spoken Word Championship team (Toronto Poetry Slam), and winner of 2014 Last Poet Standing, Philosofly has made quite an impact in his short time in the scene. The rapper slash poet is known for his catchy rhythmic delivery and random ass metaphors that somehow end up making sense by the end of the poem.
Vancouver Poetry House presents: Van Slam with weekly feature poet, Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz who is blowing into this city like the warm breeze we’ve all been waiting for. Fall is in full force and Cristin’s down-to- earth delivery and tangible tales of family, love and life will wrap around you like … Continued
It might not seem like it but Sabrina was once afraid of her voice. It wasn’t until she found poetry that the roaring lion nestling in her throat began to speak. Most recently Sabrina was part of the 2014 Toronto Poetry Slam team which was crowned national champions this past October in Victoria, BC. Sabrina’s poems float along the spectrum of love, pain, identity and Beyonce. These days, she wears her voice on her sleeve and hopes to share it with as many people as humanly possible.
Wonder Dave is a writer and performer from Minneapolis, Minnesota now living in California. He has toured the country performing at poetry venues, schools, cabarets, science fiction conventions, burlesque shows, and bowling alleys. In 2007, Dave was the recipient of the Jerome Foundation’s Verve grant for spoken word artists. Dave has been a part of five National Slam teams, including a 2010 appearance on Group Piece Finals stage with the Minneapolis Slam Team, and a 2011 top-20, semi-finalist finish with the Berkeley California slam team.
2 Dope Boys in a Cadillac are preachers of The Anthropocalypse in the guise of barefoot beards with voices. In order to further the good word of bad things they have spent the four years restlessly wandering North America with their words while simultaneously creating the world’s first psychedelic talk opera. They share nightmares but live the dream. They were also six fifteenths of the 2013 Vic Slam Team.
This is an INVITATIONAL SLAM where competing poets are selected by organizers in advance – which means you’re guaranteed some funky poet performances. Conventional rules don’t apply, rumor has it 2 Dope Boyz allow musical accompaniment and offer water-bowling (yes, water-bowling).
Billeh Nickerson’s five books include The Asthmatic Glassblower, McPoems, Impact: the Titanic Poems and the 2014 City of Vancouver Book Award nominated Artificial Cherry. He is a founding member of the performance troupe “Haiku Night in Canada” and a silver medalist at the Canadian Gay Curling Championships. He is also Chair of the Creative Writing department at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.
This will be the final youth slam of 2014 the show that wraps up our 7th calendar year running the youth slam at Cafe Deux Soleils. We finish the year in style with another qualifying slam to make the youth slam playoffs in March of 2015.
Vancouver poetry house presents feature poet, Matt Loeb, wordsmith wizard and jack of all trades (or at least those of the written and creative variety). If you’re tired of the electrician, the plumber, or the furnace fixer come and see the poet. His expertise won’t leave you broke, it will leave you wanting more.
DMP is a two time Van Slam Finalist, the 2013 Regular Season Urban Legends Champion, the 2014 Urban Legends Representative for Verses, and a proud member of the 2014 Urban Legends Team. He has penned 6 poetry chapbooks to date. They are collectively known as the Modern Day Penguin Trilogies. He is ecstatic to be back featuring at Cafe Deux Soleils where his journey into the Narnia of Spoken Word began.
Introducing a brand new youth poetry slam at a brand new location with a brand new time. This event will be the perfect place for established youth poets to perform their poems in front of a new audience and for new poets to work up the courage to test out their poems. It is open to all youth poets 13-19 years of age.
This will be a last-chance slam featuring the 10 highest-scoring female-identifying poets who are competing for the wild card spot in the WOWPS Finals on Wednesday, January 14th, 2015.
Nine female identified poets from Vancouver will be going head to head to see which one of them will represent Vancouver at the Women of the World Poetry Slam in Albuquerque, New Mexico this March.
C-Command is a spoken word poet, rapper, and seeker of flow. He studied theatre performance in Montreal for four years, until one night he had a lucid dream in which he could freestyle. He left the dream slowly, and then watched his new powers vanish helplessly as his regular mind woke up… But the experience showed him a deep mystery, and he vowed to one day figure out the magnetic properties of rhythm and rhyme. He lives in Vancouver now, writing and experimenting and going for it.
Sebastien Wen is the 2013 UBC Slam Champion, the 2014 Vancouver Youth Slam Champion and the 2014 Canadian Underground Youth Slam Champion. His work has appeared in Arc, Vallum, The Dalhousie Review and others. Mostly he's just a robot searching for sparks.
THE LAST CHANCE SLAM to qualify for youth slam playoffs on March 23rd. This night's feature poet is Teeanna Munro, maiden name Phillips King Taylor, is spoken word artist and writer whose work focuses on storytelling as identity, resistance and celebration.
Isaac Bond writes poems, spits raps, refs basketball, and supports people. He organizes shows, pays artists, attends festivals, and makes new friends; you could be one of them. Come on down and join the fun.
We're back for another workshop and poetry slam at the downtown branch of the Vancouver Public Library. We'll have an open slam for poets 13-19 years of age along with an open mic for poems written in the workshop.
THIS IS A FREE EVENT!! And it's an excellent opportunity for those poets in the Youth Slam playoffs to work on their FINALS poems.
The workshop starts at 5:30 pm. The Slam starts at 7 pm.
PrufRock Shadowrunner is an Ottawa based Poet, DJ and MC. Member of Missing Linx and a staple of Ottawa arts community. Full of jokes and smiles for all, you never know what to expect when Pruf is in the House. This 2x national champion is guaranteed to having you laughing and dancing, Come out and enjoy!
Award winning poet Ahmed ‘Knowmadic’ Ali is a Somali-born Canadian. He is a full-time poet, writer, actor, comedian, speaker and youth worker. In 2014, ACGC recognized the young poet as Alberta’s Top 30 under 30.
Award winning poet Ahmed ‘Knowmadic’ Ali is a Somali-born Canadian. He is a full-time poet, writer, actor, comedian, speaker and youth worker. In 2014, ACGC recognized the young poet as Alberta’s Top 30 under 30.
Since last July poets have been competing to make the youth slam finals and a chance to represent Vancouver at the Youthcanslam Festival in August and defend the national title. This night will be presented “In the round” with the audience seated surrounding the stage much like and Underground Indies competition.
Since last July poets have been competing to make the youth slam finals and a chance to represent Vancouver at the Youthcanslam Festival in August and defend the national title. This night will be presented “In the round” with the audience seated surrounding the stage much like and Underground Indies competition.
This night will be presented "In the round" with the audience seated surrounding the stage much like the Underground Indies competition.
Patrick DeBelen delivers a fast-paced hard-hitting spoken word style that has won him a national championship, earned him the title of the inaugural Youth Poet of Honour of Canada.
Calling all poets of the nerd-like persuasion. This is your night to explain to the world your love of isotopes or Harry Potter or Star Trek or Dr. Who or Werewolves/Vampires/Ducks or Suduko or Quantum Physics or Comic Books or Grammar or anything you feel nerdy and obsessive about.
Calling all poets of the nerd-like persuasion. This is your night to explain to the world your love of isotopes or Harry Potter or Star Trek or Dr. Who or Werewolves/Vampires/Ducks or Suduko or Quantum Physics or Comic Books or Grammar or anything you feel nerdy and obsessive about.
The George Carlin of Yoga - she mostly writes poems about flowers. But, like, mean flowers. No rainbows.
The George Carlin of Yoga - she mostly writes poems about flowers. But, like, mean flowers. No rainbows.
This is you last chance before Hullabaloo to work on your poems in front of an audience and maybe write some new ones. It all happens at the downtown branch of the Vancouver Public Library.
Come be silly and foolish with 2012 Canadian Poetry Slam Champion, RC Weslowski.
We’ll have a workshop starting at 5:30 on writing unexpected things full of surprises plus a mini feature and poetry slam. There will also be an open mic for any work created during the workshop.